Memorial Day 2007

I love dressing Ella~ I think it is because I never had an "American Girl" doll and I always wanted one. So, now I take "holiday dressing" seriously and poor Ella has to sport the garb and glasses. Ella officially has her first tooth (bottom).
For Memorial Day we celebrated by doing "American" things like washing the cars, getting rid of weeds, basketball (Benj) and Ella and I took long walk around the neighborhood. We visited Ada and Howard Shurtz and thanked him for his service in the army. Then we ended the day with the Andersons and Baileys and a make-shift BBQ. Let freedom ring!

Baseball, Seminary, Lunch & PRO

Four events this week:
1. Ella's 1st Giants game ~ thanks for visiting Grandpa Dean
2. Benj completed his first year of teaching early morning seminary... he says he is looking forward to sleeping in this summer until seminary starts again in August. "Sleeping in" is relative... for Benj it means sleeping until 5:30 instead of 4:30 every day.
3. My 3rd best friend since 7th grade- Carolyn- celebrated her birthday! We went to lunch in Sausalito.
4. An article about Benj and Project Reach Out appeared in the Deseret Morning News.

Rome

With the help of Rick Steve's we successfully did Rome as a two-day layover. We love Italy and cannot wait to go back someday! The Colosseum, Vatican, St. Peter's, Sistine Chapel, Pantheon, the Ruins, Capital, St. Peter in Chains... it was all fantastic!

Ukraine

This is Ella's first trip to Ukraine. Benj and Nate started Project Reach Out, a non-profit volunteer organization to help the orphans in western Ukraine, after they served as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Kiev Ukraine mission. Since they began in 1999, they've returned every year (sometimes a couple of times a year) to check on construction and make sure the children's needs are being met.
This year my mom came to help out with Ella and see, first hand, how Project Reach Out works.

Hawaii

Our first family vacation was to Maui. We stayed with our friends Jen and Scott Bailey. We can't wait to go back someday.