The Aunts Go Marching Three By Three

This is a catch-up post from a few weeks ago. I tried to start it a couple weeks back and for some reason, all of the pictures were stretched horizontally - I didn't think all of the aunties pictured below would appreciate the stretchage, so I held off on it for a while :)

A few weeks ago, I ditched out mid-week on school and work stuff to take the Greyhound bus (scary experience!) up to Portland for a mini family reunion. Aunt Tricia, who lives in Portland, was hosting Aunt Siri-Anne, who was was visiting from Norway, and Aunt Julie, who was visiting from Utah. I haven't seen them all together for probably about 10 years. That is a big chunk of my life! But it felt like we just picked right up where we had left off.

I spent a lot of time with my aunts when I was young and I have always loved them dearly, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I felt like I really got to know them as an adult. I still have that natural familial love for them, but I have also realized how remarkable they really are. They are strong, in every way, and I was touched as I spent time with them that THIS is my family culture - a culture of strong women who lead and love with courage and faith.

They have strong minds. They are highly educated and learning is a life-long pursuit for them. Their children will grow up understanding that knowledge is power and it is a cause worth sacrificing for.

They have strong bodies. Between the three of them, they have 20 kids. That fact alone should attest to their physical endurance and strength. But these women also find time to play, to work, to exercise, to enjoy nature, and to be there for their families.

They have strong spirits. They are the bedrock of faith in their families and through thick and thin, miscarriages and family tragedy, sending kids off to kindergarten and college, these women believe with all their hearts in a Savior who understands their pain and joy. 

We had an amazing time together. I took a ton of pictures - these are the highlights. I was reminded again how much I love my family and how crazy we all are for not living all on the same street. It would be a party...all the time :) 

We spent a day on the beach. Don't be deceived by the bright sunshine - it was not warm.

This is a typical Tricia pose. I love it.

Tricia, the Oregonian, came prepared with blankets, a giant umbrella (that almost got away from us!), and a tent. We all laughed at her until we got there and realized that we would have wanted to leave after 10 minutes without all of our gear.

The cold did not stop the kiddos from enjoying the sand and water.

For some reason, Carter could not comprehend the concept of sand blowing in the wind.  Poor guy had sand in his eyes for hours.

Julie and the kiddos were the only ones brave enough to make it all the way to the water. 

How adorable is this baby?

We took a detour on the way home...well worth the visit.

Carter Cow.

I love factories like this - it makes me feel like I am on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Cheese sampling. Yum!

And ice cream!

We went for a hike early the next morning. Julie has the absolute best morning hair of anyone I have ever known.

I may get in trouble for posting this picture, but I love it. I want it framed and on my desk.

Beautiful hike

Slug friend. Yuck.

Saying goodbye to Aunt Julie at the airport. Our visit was WAY too short.

Hangin in the car with this adorable babe. 

Courtney's last track meet of the season. So fun to watch her run.

I don't know why Kellie has such a confused look on her face because she was really determined in what she was doing. She talked James into letting her paint his toenails (something I have never achieved).

The finished product. I can't get over the hair and the painted nails together.

The kids' patriotic choir concert.

This was a weekend to remember. We also got some really exciting news while we were there. I got a fellowship for next year in the Conflict Resolution Services department! This is a HUGE blessing for us and makes a lot of things possible for this upcoming year. 

And I got a job at the place where I have been interning since January...

And I just finished all of my classes/school work for this year...

And we are going to Disneyland this week...

Life is good. 

:)

Confucius say, "Share your happiness!"

 Quick photo update from this week.

How to make pumpkin puree. Minus the college apartment kitchen, this cheesy face could appear on a cooking show. I should do some career exploration in that realm...

Bake pumpkin face down at about 375 for about an hour. Unless you have a super oven like me that burns everything if you leave it in for the suggested time...then do 45 min.

Scrape out the innards. Discard (or compost!) the outtards. Yes, it's a word...now.

Puree! And make sure you make a mess while you do it. I am planning to use it for pumpkin soup this week and maybe even a pumpkin pie next week. We'll see how it turns out!

James and I passed Panda Express yesterday on our way to do a little window shopping. At the stop light, James turned to me and nearly shouted, "Panda Express?! Now?!!" How could I refuse? This was our fortune.

This was definitely James's happiness...and he did share it with me.

And this is a small sampling of  MY happiness...I have discovered a new obsession with the used books section at Goodwill where they sell books like Pride and Prejudice for 49 cents! And a used bookstore that we visited for date night turned out to be very useful because I bought a conflict resolution book for $1 AND found James's Christmas present. We are also the proud owners of a library card, which is responsible for the rest of the mess....research books for class.

James walked into the living room one night and happened upon this sight. It was homework time, and I was in my groove. The phrase, "bug in a rug" has taken on new meaning. Thanks to my awesome mother-in-law for the snuggly blanket that gets used EVERY day.

And one more bit of happiness that doesn't have a photo yet...James and I are yet again proud uncle and auntie! Congratulations, Janet and Bo! We are so excited to see baby Makenna in a couple weeks when we go home for Thanksgiving. Wishing all of you a happy week!

It's Official :)

Yes, it is official. I (Emily) have decided on the University of Oregon, and I'm thrilled about my decision. Narrowing my decision from about eighty to three graduate schools was an agonizing and painfully long process, but I was shocked (pleasantly!) at how easy it was to narrow my decision from three to one. When I told my nine-year-old sister Anna about my decision, she said, "How can you be so excited about going to school?!" Apparently in third grade, the two don't go together. I really couldn't be happier though, and feel so blessed to be this excited about our next step in life.


Well, this week was busy, busy, busy and full of fun. The event that James and I have been looking forward to for months finally came to pass this week...SPRING CLEANING! Our favorite time of year! Mostly because it means that the sun is starting to come out again and the snow is gone...for the most part. We scrubbed our tiny apartment from top to bottom and dejunked (which we both absolutely love). Eight hours, about six garbage bags, and two sore backs later, we still didn't get through the kitchen area of our house, but we stopped and treated ourselves to our favorite katsudon restaurant. Oh, heavenly food. I'll get to the kitchen sometime later this week before we go on our trip...and then possibly treat myself to more katsudon.

Here are some before and after pictures. Actually, that's a lie. This is really a mid-cleaning photo. But like my momma always says, "It gotsta get dirtier before it gets cleaner!"

And the after picture. I took this picture strategically so you couldn't see the huge give-away pile and trash bags hiding in the corner. The garbage man is not going to be happy with us this week.

Can I just say how pleased I am to have a table and chairs again?! We have been eating on the ground with a kotatsu for the last six months or so, and though I love that hideous beast for keeping me thawed through the winter, my knees were not sad to see it go back into storage.

We are planning a few trips in the next few weeks. This week, we are going to Fukuoka. The next weekend, we are going to Aomori, and we are considering another trip the weekend after. Be excited for pictures in the next month or so :)


This afternoon, we were able to start volunteering with an orphanage for babies under two. I don't think I have laughed so hard and had so much fun in a long time. Those kids were hilarious, and everyone (including us) was surprised at how quickly they warmed up to us. We can't take pictures because of privacy issues, but I hope we will always be able to remember these volunteer experiences. Some of the most memorable and rewarding experiences from the past eight months have come from volunteering, and I hope it's something we continue through our life together.

We had our friend Tomomi over for dinner this week. She taught me how to make nabe, a Japanese soup, and we made this yummy blueberry dessert together.

And this is my baby. Yes, they are green onions. I'm so proud of them. The dark part at the top is how much they have grown in the last week or so. I'm so excited for our first harvest :) Stay tuned for my tomato and basil growing adventures. I love spring!!!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!