Mamma,Elle, where are you?

This week has been a hectic one(I’m beginning to understand that when you have children, this is the routine)We have been getting everything ready for our trip to Brazil and it is definitely a whole new ball game for us to travel with 2 kids now and with all our gifts. We did get it done though with a big trip to the post office where Kit greeted the postal worker with, “congratulations, you just won the lotto” Yeah we had a ton of stuff.
It is now Sunday night and we are trying to finish up the packing(in crazy Ellis style:)–our train for Paris leaves at 9am, we arrive at 12 and then jump on our plane to Milan, Italy. We have a brief layover there and then it’s on to the relaxing 11+hr flight to SP Brazil. Hopefully the girls will do fine- Ryn will be loaded with fun games, activities and movies and sweet little Elle will be cutting her first 2 teeth!!!!
Yesterday was a fun day– Kit had a very fun service project and dinner planned for the sisters in our ward. Everything was awesome and the dinner was amazing. One of kit’s counselors is from Spain and her father was a professional chef, so she cooked up some oh so yummy dishes from Spain and then they had a spiritual message. Needless to say it was a huge success! I am so happy for my sweet wifey she is the best and I am glad it all went so well.
On my side of things—YES I am still waiting for my clearance by the federation so again was unable to play. I kept Ryn with me all day and we had some fun daddy daughter time. I loved it, she was so sweet and adorable always holding my hand and showering me with kisses. We drove to the game(road game bout an hour away) and on arriving she started to say –”Mamma? Elle? Where are you? with her hands in the air and shoulders shrugged over and over again in the most tender way. She then looked at me and tucked her chin into her chest and said –”Sad”. I melted. She was missing her mommy and her sister, it seriously was so precious you just had to have been there. We went into the game and she got to sit with me on the bench with the team and she loved it. She particularly loved the timeout music and the Big yellow dog mascot. During one timeout she was standing next to me and she started doing her little jig and even throwing in some ballet moves to some saucy music they had playing. When the horn sounded a portion of the crowd cheered for her and the PA announcer said——” Wasn’t she adorable”. At least she was worth seeing because the game wasn’t pretty we again lost by 20+ points. It was so hard this game to sit on the sideline and watch. I felt like the big brother watching the school bully push around my little brother. I so wanted to play and I knew I would’ve helped, heck when you throw in my season average(31.9) and the easier shots my teamates get when I am on the floor, we easily would’ve won this game not to mention the 2 before, that we lost. Hopefully all will be taken care of by the time we get back, we don’t play again until Jan 12th.
Well here we go with some Videos- A blog entry just wouldn’t be complete with out a few, right! Enjoy
Clip one is of Ryn decorating the tree but at one moment she finds some Halloween plastic spiders in the drawer and is scared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DAD367i-zs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvnN-nHqtBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU9rgQfxslg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0vdNvfdO8Y

Proud Pappa---Say Cheese

I know I am just a proud Daddy but I must say my little angels are soooo adorable! Ryn’s vocabulary is exploding, both French and English. Today we were at the grocery store and she was standing in the cart as we were zipping around. We went down the juice aisle and she just started saying ” bonjour” over and over again to everyone we passed. She was soo cute, she melted everyone. And just the other day Ryn and I headed out to get some bread at the Boulangerie( It’s just 30 steps from our house:), it had just rained so we decided to do some puddle hopping. As we were doing so I started counting out-loud as we stomped in each puddle and as I said 1, she said 2, and so on all the way to 10. Yep I must brag because she already knows her alphabet and when we drive around town she’ll rattle off the letters she sees on the signs. I didn’t even know that she could count like that, I’m so proud(if you can’t tell ha ha). All this is of course thanks to a great Mommy that spends a lot of time with her, reading, counting and practicing her letters and playing fun games with her that keeps her giggling all day long.
Elle on the other hand is having a very hard time right now with what we are guessing is her teeth coming in. She will be totally fine and then all of a sudden break into this blood curdling scream. It’s so sad because she is so sweet and even though she is in pain she will still warm your heart with the cutest smile ever. I LOVE her smiles and her big twinkling eyes and yes, both my girls endure countless kisses. I just I can’t help myself:)Last night I stayed up with Elle til 4:45am and was dead tired so Kit let me sleep in as she fed the girls and got them dressed. When I woke up we had a special visitor come to our door, one that we’ve been waiting for for a longtime-(with the sweet strike that was going on here, we were notified that the camera was at customs at the Roissy airport). You see our very good friend Michelle is big into photography and very good (if you would like to see what I mean please visit http://thebelovedchild.com/index.html she does all her own photography and most of the pictures are of her very cute kids)Anyway she is like a big sister to us and she’s the kind of person that when she finds something she loves, she wants to share it with everyone and so in this spirit she decided to loan us her sweet Canon digital camera. She had just upgraded and we were asking some questions about camera’s when she thought “I will just send them this one”!!!!!! I was so excited. For the longest time I have been a wannabe photographer, just ask Kit about our trips to Holland to see the tulips and of course since we have had our girls all I can think about is –How do I capture this moment?—– Well thanks to Michelle we will have some very good (high quality) memories. Thank you Thank you Thank you! If you can’t tell I am excited in fact I read practically the whole manual online today to get acquainted with all the features of the camera. So come my next entry be prepared for some stellar photos–ha ha yeah right I am still a novice! But thank you again we will make you proud!
To the hard-court—Unfortunately we are in a bad decline right now because of the lame-O government. Let me explain- In order for me to play(work) in France I must be cleared by what is in a way the city hall for this region of France. Anyway it is sooooo slow and so ridiculous, (they love their little power trips) so I was not cleared to play by the French Basketball Federation because of the hold up at this place of my work visa. A lot of times your file lands on the desk of someone who is not very fond of payed pro players and so they will take forever. Because of this I missed last game and we got killed and then I will miss tomorrows game as well. Two losses in a row really hurts and we only have one more after that before the big one month Christmas break when we head down to Brazil.
Below are a string of cute videos of the girls please enjoy–The 1st is of Ryn telling me about the pictures of Jesus in her room- The 2nd is of Ryn singing with her microphone– And the 3rd is of play-dough time with Mommy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BuLn0GuOFU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRtRtvXNXzI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNvHoD0k5eg

Kit's stake conference talk!

Being committed in order to vanquish adversity

In English we have an expression that says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Sometimes for me, one word is worth a thousand pictures. That’s what happened when I heard the topic I was assigned for this talk: being committed in order to vanquish adversity. Immediately when I hear the word VANQUISH, the image of a knight vanquishing a dragon and others like it flash through my mind.
VANQUISH doesn’t mean run away from. VANQUISH also doesn’t mean to fight for a while and then give up to be beaten by your adversary. VANQUISH means to conquer, defeat, win, beat or triumph over. In order to reach this goal of completely VANQUISHING adversity, it is true that we need to be completely committed. What kind of commitment do we need? How can commitment change our capacity to vanquish adversity?
To find the answers to these questions, I would like to share a story about three Georges: George the Weak, George the Mediocre, and George the Devoted. All three received their knighthood after proving themselves during years of training and trials. The day they were knighted, they swore allegiance to their king and to their Code of Chivalry. This code requires them, among other things, to: repent of all weaknesses, to be at all times and in all places the defender of the right, to stay strong and firm in adversity without losing courage even until death, to be ever faithful to the King, to never be arrogant rather humble in every way, and to always protect the weak, the poor and the widows. All three Georges have been chosen by their king to vanquish specific dragons according to their individual capacities.
Let us begin with George the Weak. Even though he accepted the title of knight at the ceremony, as well as the oath and code of chivalry, in his heart George is not much more than a mercenary. He moved to the kingdom of this king because he had heard that his knights were well paid. Upon his arrival, George doesn’t spend any time in preparation for battle because he doesn’t think he’ll be chosen to fight any dragons. His armor is covered in dust because he feels he has earned an easy life after all the years he has already spent in battle. The king, however, knows George very well, and knew him even before his coming. He had consistently followed his progress during all his years of training. For this reason, he has much confidence in George and knows that he can succeed. Unfortunately, when George the Weak receives his assignment to vanquish his dragon, his response is, “NOT ME!” Telling himself that his king was foolish to give him such a terrible dragon to fight, he flees the country without even trying to fight or talk about the situation with his king.
Moving on to George the Mediocre….Having lived in the kingdom for many years, George has great respect for his king. He has observed on several occasions that the king is good, intelligent, generous and just towards his subjects. Therefore, George knows he can have confidence in his king and when he swore to serve him, it was his sincere desire. The king has already voiced his confidence in George’s abilities, making George even more proud and eager to prove himself. Being a knight has been George’s life-long dream because they are brave, they do good and even more, they’re rich and have their pick of all the maidens in the kingdom. George takes great care of his armor, making it as shiny as possible, and he trains every day to impress his king (and the maidens) with his skill. Happy to be chosen to defeat his dragon, George sets off, dreaming of the eternal gratitude of the population he will save. When the moment of battle arrives, George goes to salute his king, who tries to give him some last words of counsel for this particular dragon. George, though, feeling prepared and strong enough on his own, pays no heed to his Lord’s advice. Face to face with the dragon George fights with all his might. He wounds the dragon several times, but suddenly, the dragon strikes back with his fiery breath, burning George severely. Humiliated and in agony, George cries, “WHY ME?!?” He gives one final blow to the dragon, who retreats, wounded but determined to return and seek his revenge. Afterward, George avoids the king and everyone else. He feels like the king abandoned him in his hour of need and was unfair to give him a dragon that was so much stronger and more difficult than those given to the other knights. He is filled with doubts about his abilities, his king, and his future. Finally, we arrive at George the Devoted. This George loves his king. They have fought, side-by-side, in many terrible battles. The king even saved George’s life. Because of this relationship, George’s heart is wholly committed to serving, obeying and defending his king, and he fulfills his commitment with humility and devotion. When someone is needed to defend the kingdom, George is always among the first to volunteer–not for riches or glory, but to prove his love and to protect his king, his family and his friends. He knows that he will have more dragons to fight than the other knights, and that he will surely be wounded and maybe even killed in battle, but he accepts each dragon gladly as an opportunity to prove his faithfulness and to progress. He knows each dragon will be different and more difficult than the last, and so George prepares himself as well as he can. He strengthens his armor, he spends hours training, and he seeks advice and counsel from his king, knowing he is not strong enough or wise enough on his own. The king recognizes the strong and immovable commitment George has made and stands ever ready to help him in his fight. And so again today George fights his dragon with all his might and, with the help of his king, vanquishes the dragon. This experience, as well as all dragons past, make George even more confident and capable to face the next.Like the 3 knights, we have taken a name upon us at the moment of our commitment. At baptism, we took the name of Christ to be our own and we committed ourselves to serving him, obeying him and following him–at all times and in all places. We promised to repent of our sins and weaknesses, to remain humble, and to stand for the right. This commitment, if it is founded on love for our King Jesus Christ, will be strong and immovable even in the face of adversity. In fact, it is this very commitment that will give us the strength we need to vanquish all adversity because it will lead us to change 2 very important things: our attitude and our effort.
1. Our attitude will not be, “NOT ME!”, or even “WHY ME?!”, but rather “Here I am, SEND ME!”
When the current temptation or trial becomes even more difficult or when it is not immediately relieved we will not feel abandoned. On the contrary, we will feel even closer to a perfect Savior who suffered ALL THINGS to save us and we will be humble and thankful to be able to become a little more like Him.
We will be full of faith because we will recognize the intent of a loving Heavenly Father in letting us pass through adversity. As He said in D&C 98:14, “Therefore, be not aafraid of your enemies, for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will bprove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, ceven unto death, that you may be found worthy.” So every challenge we face is a chance to prove our love and commitment to Him.
2. Once our attitude has changed, we will increase our efforts before, as well as during the fight with adversity. We will make every effort to prepare ourselves by putting on the whole armor of God as Paul counseled the Ephesians. We will consistently consult with our King through fervent prayer and diligent study of His words.
In the battle itself, we will not give up until the current challenge is completely defeated because a wounded dragon returns with an even stronger fire. If our efforts to vanquish adversity slacken before the job is done, Satan knows he will be able to use that against us the next time.
When we are able to reach this level of commitment, we will be rewarded as George the Devoted–who was much like the people of Alma in the Book of Mormon. While these people were still in captivity, they submitted themselves to ALL the will of the Lord with cheerful hearts and with patience. When their captors forbid them to pray, they poured out their hearts to the Lord. His response is found in Mosiah 24:13-14.
“Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”
I testify to you that I know WITH SURETY that the Lord intervenes in our favor while we are IN our afflictions because He loves us and because He recognizes our commitment. I know that every time I respond to adversity with patience, faith and trust in Him, I am strengthened. He then makes me stronger, more confident, and more capable to face my next dragon. If we will be faithful to Him before, during and after each moment of adversity, we will be lifted up in this day and in the last.

Thanksgiving list

In Kit’s family they have a Thanksgiving tradition that we have adopted. We watch “SCROOGE”(Albert Finney musical version–soo good I cry every stinkin year) and before the big meal we go around the table and list the things from that year we are thankful for.
Thanksgiving is really close to being my favorite holiday of the year. I love the food, family and the fact that this is when the Christmas season officially kicks off. The football and basketball going on are just bonuses:)
The Food: My moms cornbread stuffing is devine- the mashed potatoes, olives, vegetables, and one can’t forget the oh so good Tom fruitsalad and also the pomegranate salad all to be washed down with the famous Linkous punch. The pies are so yummy too at our house it’s pretty simple pumpkin and apple although I do love a pear pie that Kit’s mom introduced us to. Much the same as apple pie but with pears instead of apples. YUMMY! And of course one of the greatest things about thanksgiving is the leftovers ….mmmm!
Family: I love this holiday for the simple fact of being with family. When I was younger we always used to go to Vegas to celebrate with my moms sister and her kids. But just hanging out, playing games(pool), shooting hoops and throwing the football, watching some games on T.V, and enjoying the great food together. It’s such a warm holiday feeling, with the weather getting colder outside . We also take this time to get some good Christmas shopping done, and since I love to shop it’s very fun. I LOVE when my mom breaks out all her amazing Christmas decorations. She turns the house into a magical place and I can’t wait for our girls to be able to share in this. I remember spending hours helping her set up the christmas village and tree(if you have not yet ever seen one of her Christmas trees, they are a sight to behold she actually hangs statues in the tree!)
As for my Thanksgiving list–(in no particular order)
1.A healthy beautiful Family 2.My adorable little angels 3. A great start to the season 31pts/game 4. getting to go to Brazil for Christmas 5.The chance to serve in this great Ward 6. To have the sweet example every year that my wife is to me and my daughters 7. St Moret cheese and good French bread 8. My Slingbox 8. My good family and their loving support, ALWAYS 9. chocolate mmm 10. Great friends and the part they play in our lives 11. The amazingly generous and oh so awesome loaner from Michelle and Erik :)12. Having a knowledge and testimony of my Father in heaven, His Son and His gospel. 13. This job that I have which allows me so much precious time seeing my girls grow and having them really know me, and not missing out on anything they do. 14. I am thankful for being thankful
Happy Thanksgiving!

Little by little-Line upon line

We’ve all heard the saying,” You must crawl before you can walk” and “Little by little, line upon line”. Well these are all thoughts that ran through my head this weekend during stake conference in Angers. Elder Camargo (Area 70) spoke to us and taught us some great stuff. His talk was about experience and how important it is in our lives and the lives of those around us. He mentioned that he has had kidney stones 4 times and his wife has had them also, so when their children get them ( He thinks they have no chance of escaping them) they will know how to give them comfort and advice. He also talked about the adolescent years and how trying they can be for both teens and parents. “These are all experiences that we would rather avoid, BUT how would we be able to help others who will pass by these same things?”

That did make me think about when our girls will be old enough to date and have to deal with all the pressures of teen years ( Oh yes, you guessed it- instant ulcer and I could actually feel the grey hairs boinging out). Our experiences as teens will hopefully be able to ease some of the difficult times but it is also a time to learn for our girls so we don’t want to remove everything from them. They will need to go through things on their own, make decisions of their own and that is why the scripture in Proverbs 22:6 is so reassuring—”Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”—

This also made me think alot about why we are given certain experiences- They are given, of course to test us, prove us, and help us grow but also help others and be a guide and support through a difficult time. Losing Darren obviously comes to mind. What we went through on that roller-coaster of a day, our wedding day is so hard to explain, the emotions were all over the place. From complete and total elation and joy to the most suffocating feelings of sadness and loss. In one instant our family was added upon and in another a piece was taken away. But what we learned from this experience has allowed us to be more sensitive to the loss others deal with and to be a comfort to them. As Elder Camargo explained and as we know from the Saviors experience in Gethsemane, we will know how to help others more deeply if we have already passed through what they are experiencing.

These experiences are necessary for our growth, although when I think of boys calling our house to ask out our daughters all that comes to mind is neceSCARY! God is so good to us as he does allow us to gain experience little by little and line upon line. Even though Joseph Smith did so much in so little time, he was always able to learn and grow from his experiences. When I look at Ryn and Elle and think that only 17months separate them it blows my mind to think that Ryn has learned so much since she was Elle’s age(which seems like just yesterday). And that Elle will be doing alot of the things Ryn does now in a few months it is so crazy. With them so close in age and stages though it really does allow you to see how laying those important foundations and anchors help them grow and build for the next stage.
Parenting is tiring and demanding and hard BUT I can’t say it enough it is so rewarding and eye-opening . I LOVE IT! I am so thankful for all the great parents that we have had and been able to be around- from our own amazing parents to our siblings and learning from them to our good friends and seeing how they do things…. we are so blessed and our daughters will be better for it:) so thank you !

Writers blog :)

Yes,I do admit that my postings are far from regular. The problem with me is that during the week all these adorable things happen or we have some fun news and by the time I get around to typing up an entry I forget everything I wanted to write about. So I am going to try and be better about being more regular, to keep everyone in the mix and also for my own sanity.
This past week has been a rollercoaster of stress and excitement. We decided to go ahead and get our tickets to go to Brasil for Christmas. The problem was that we had totally spaced it and forgot that we needed visas. The visas are 100 euros per person(kids too). But the major concern was that we had to get our visas here at the consulate in Paris, but in France they require you to have a current resident visa. Well ours must be renewed next week and we were worried that they would not accept ours because in France everything takes so stinking long. Anyway to make a long story short, we woke up early tuesday morning and drove up to Paris and turned in our request and they told us everything was good and to pick them up in one week!!!! Woo Hoo! We are going to Brazil for Christmas!!! We are so excited we can't stand it. The girls will get to spend some quality time with Grandma/Grandpa Ellis, Em,Spence and Rae and we even get to see Rob and Christa too!!!! YEAH! We leave Dec 10th, go through Milan and come home Dec 31st.
Now for the weekly Linkous girls update--We will start with my 1st angel-Kit was asked to speak in stake conference and will be talking about "Overcoming adversity". I like to think that I have not given her any experiences for her talk but we will see:) Kit is sooooo excited for Bresil(don't get me wrong we all are) that she gets giddy at the most random times, she'll just start squeaking and saying ,"I can't believe it's done, we finally got the tickets and are going to be with my family for Christmas". It did take awhile for everything to come about and it wasn't until Kit was talking to Mr. Robert K. Ellis (future supreme court judge) about Christa's lost purse that we realized we needed VISAS!!! We barely got it done in time, so now it's official.
Ryn has been her usual adorable self. We have been enjoying the park, working on her alphabet(she knows most of her letters and keeps us laughing when she says the sound of each letter, especially W and V) and of course wearing skirts and working on her golf swing. Here are a couple of video clips.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Sa-cCUwZg]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbsxTvbyzX4]
Elle is growing more and more everyday if not in leaps and bounds sizewise, her personality is exploding. She LOVES giggling and lights up when you talk to her in a high silky johnny cat voice.We can't wait for everyone in Brasil to be able to spend some time with her, she is changing so much.She does the most adorable coos and ahs.
For me ,we won 94-69 on Saturday so we are now in 6th place I finished with 25pts. This saturday we play the 1st place team they are 7-0 so hopefully we can fly under the radar and steal one from them. We invited this sweet man from our ward to our house for dinner on Sunday. His wife just past away and he is very sad. He loves our girls and they are soooo sweet with him. He was my branch president in Niort when I was on my mission(small world huh). I am just so thankful everyday for the opportunity that I have to spend all this time with my 3 girls and make memories with them. When I leave for practice Ryn usually is standing at our glass door with her hands on the glass saying," Daddy Work". I hate to leave and I go play basketball! They are just so yummy!!!

Definition of insanity

This past weekend we had a LONG road trip . We played near Mont de Marsan, which was in our mission. This is a game we needed to win and didn’t. This is where the definition of insanity comes into play. “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. I also love one of the great quotes from Kit’s days in the bookfield- “If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten”. I bring this up why? Well our team feels that if we keep playing the same way we have been (which has not been very smart) but just play harder , then we will “poof” become better. I have been saying over and over again since day one here that we need to be doing alot more. Not necessarily more BIG things but more LITTLE things. Anyway I am just venting here, the result of our game was 101-86. I finished with 48pts, was 7/11 from 3pt range and worked my buns off getting to the rim for a lot of and ones. But all for not since we didn’t win. I just hope that something good will come of this loss, such as maybe going to the guy that has either the hot hand or a mismatch (me most of the time as I am alot bigger than most of the guys that guard me). Not to mention that I am already the focal point of the other teams’ defense so if the team runs things through me I can even be used as a decoy to free up my teammates. I don’t care about the points if a win doesn’t come with. It feels nice and does alot for my confidence as I get older ( knowing I can still do it) but if my own team doesn’t appreciate my efforts and use me for the reasons they brought me here (to win) then there is really not a whole lot I can do. Kit wants to be our coach and believe it or not she would be very good. After 7 years playing pro ball here in France she has a very good understanding of the game and sees ALOT. Especially when I don’t play well she is sweet enough to remind me of the areas I need to work on and I love her for that! Like Renee says in -Jerry McGuire- “YOU COMPLETE ME” and she does in every-way (Kit, not Renee:) Enough bout that though, we play the last place team this saturday so we SHOULD get back on track.
As for my lovely family Kit has already been working her magic of love and service amongst the sisters here as she dives in head first with her new calling as Relief Society President. She is so thoughtful and such a hard worker when it comes to giving her best to the Lord and those she serves. We talked alot as she started to put her ideas in motion. She expressed her feelings of inadequacy and ” why in the world does everyone else think I will be great”? I find it so amazing how we so often sell ourselves short. We have been blessed with so many things through the gospel, our families and good friends. Through our experiences as missionaries, children, siblings and parents there really should be nothing that can stand in our way of succeeding except US, individually. I do it all the time in basketball. Sometimes I become negative and get down on myself when things don’t go the right way. Or as parents when we do all that we can to teach our children what is good and true and sometimes it doesn’t always stick- we automatically think, “where did I go wrong”?
This last conference was so awesome for combating all this– Elder Eyrings talks were both so powerful. Elder Costa’s talk about never missing opportunities to express love for those around us, Kit and I loved when he would say with his accent - “give a hug and a kisses” so cute! We need to always remember how much we are loved and how we can accomplish anything with the Lord on our side.
Ryn and Elle are shakers and bakers. Elle was recently introduced to the new world of legumes and “Elmers” cereal. Are you kidding me you could use this stuff (rice cereal) as mortar and build an impenetrable fortress. I almost cut myself on some dried cereal that was on her bib. She is adjusting now and we think she might actually start growing now. Her personality is really starting to show and she is quite the giggle happy child. Don’t get me wrong the Jungle Puma still possesses her body every-now and then.
Ryn is still just as cute as ever. Always has to have a dancing skirt on and must be fully “asessorized” with her bracelet,necklace, and of course the purse. She loves to giggle at the dinner table and we have started the family giggle session every-night after she finishes her milk she starts forcing out these giggles and won’t stop until we all join in. We sound like a bunch of drunk hyenas. Elle of course looks around with her birdy face startled at first and then starts giggling uncontrollably. We have so much fun together and love this time together. Below is a clip of Elle giggling please enjoy!

Bitter Sweet

This past week has been fun, we went to the park and played in the autumn leaves. We also love the smell of wood-burning fireplaces and the trees as they change color. This is a time of bitter sweetness though, with the arrival of one beautiful season comes the end of another. Being raised by a master gardener I truly miss the spring and summer seasons, with all their life and warmth and yet it’s amazing to me how the seasons that bring an end to such splendors can still have such appeal and beauty. Autumn with it’s colors and the chill in the air that brings the jackets out of the closet and the fun holidays that spice up the colder months is always exciting.
All this reflection came about as I was on the road this weekend for a game in Bordeaux. I was listening to one of my favorite Cd’s- “Kenny Loggins-More songs from Pooh Corner” and the song “Turn Around” came on. I found myself getting all choked up as the song continued. Here are the lyrics:
Where are you going, my little one, little one

Where are you going, my baby, my own?

Turn around and you’re two, turn around and you’re four

Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door

Turn around, turn around Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door

Where are you going, my little one, little one

Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?

Turn around and you’re tiny, turn around and you’re grown

Turn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own

Turn around, turn aroundTurn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own
Turn around, turn aroundTurn around and you’re the young girl going out of the door
Where are you going, my little one, little one

Where are you going, my ba-by, my own?

The reality of my little angel, Ryn growing up faster and faster really dawned on me, actually it hit me like a Mack truck and I realized I was all teary eyed.
Everyone always talks about how each age has it’s own charm. How even though it’s sad to see the cute baby stages go by the toddler stages are going to bring just as much cuteness. I agree! But at the same time it is so hard for me to see her growing up. We waited so long for her to come to us and now it seems like every-time I turn around she has stopped doing one of the things I loved so much and has now moved on to a newer cute thing. I just have to look at it the same way as the seasons and can’t miss any opportunities to spend time with her and love her at each stage.
I am so grateful for this gift of being a Daddy. It completes me as a man and helps me be a better man. Hearing her ask for me, ” where’s Dad” with her little sweet inflection and hugging me just for no reason at all and squeezing me tight and saying “squeeeeeze”. There is nothing better. I know I will have other “seasons” with Ryn that are just as beautiful and special, as will I with Elle but just as each Christmas or Holiday can hold a special place in our hearts and minds the memories and moments that I have shared with Ryn up until now are just that–memories, but oh so precious to me!

Life as Dad

This has been a great week lots and lots of time together as family. I seriously don’t know how Dads can leave their families every morning to go to work? I am going to have a tough time adjusting when we come home to real life. I just love every aspect of being at home with Kit and my two girls.
Right now my favorite thing is getting Ryn when she wakes up in the morning. She has become so attached to this little Cinderella princess purse (please see video clip above) that my Mom got her for this Christmas (sorry mom she discovered it in our crazy unpacking session and wont’ part with it) that she, upon seeing it in the morning sitting next to her crib, immediately starts up a conversation with it. And when we come through the door she gives us a big ” Hi Dad or Hi Mom” and then points and says ” da purse, da purse”. We think somewhere along the line we are related to the fantasy island guy. Anyway we usually trade days but I love going downstairs with Ryn while Kit and Elle sleep and get her breakfast and then we curl up on the couch together and watch Little Einsteins. The other day we went for an early morning tricycle ride to say good morning to her friends the cows and encountered a swarm of orange and purple butterflies. Ryn was going nuts she could barely even breath running around pointing and saying “butter-FLIES” and saying “awesome”.
She has also really exploded in her learning recognizing letters like m,z,o,s and her colors as well. She really loves to learn and spending all this time with her I can really appreciate the awesome responsibility it is to teach them. They are sponges and constantly learning from us. Kit and I noticed the other day that Ryn was doing this frustrated growl/sigh thing when she would drop something and realized that she learned that from us, we make that sound often when we are frustrated!
But I truly do love being around them all the time and hope that they love having me around too! Whenever Ryn hears me coming down the stairs she takes off running to Kit saying “Oh no Oh no” because she knows I am going to tickle her and do kissyface. We just are so blessed to have them in our lives. President Eyring spoke of writing down everyday the ways that the Lord has blessed us or our family. This blog really has given me that opportunity to put my feelings down somewhere. Although it is not very hard to think of how the Lord has blessed us when we have these two sweet girls with us all day long. Of course there are so many ways that He touches our lives everyday, but having children really helps me not get to caught up in “grown-up things” so that I can always remember that I am still a child needing to learn just as much as my children everyday. I only have years and experience on them but they help me keep things simple and it is when things are simple that we can appreciate the -butterflies-the flowers-tickletime and kissyface and be able to be constantly reminded of our Heavenly Fathers love for each one of us.

MIA-Long update

Well here I am. Back after a few days of stress, big decisions and the normal go-go-go :) Before we came back to France( during the summer) our Branch President called us and extended the calling of Relief Society President to Kit. She of course accepted and then went on to tell me how unprepared she felt for this calling . All she really knew was the Young Womens program as she has served as President everywhere we have lived for the past 7 years. I know she will do great------- Upon returning we found out that the former RS president was having surgery to remove some cancerous tumors. Unfortunately she passed away before the surgery even took place. This came as a big shock ( Claudette was 69). The family asked us to sing her favorite hymn "Au Jardin" . But the sweetest most tender moment of the whole event came when we arrived at the funeral home and Ryn seeing Ben (Claudette's son) squirmed from my grasp, dropped her favorite purse and went running to him with open arms. He of course scooped her up and she gave him a "squeeze" and a kiss on the cheek. He said," Wow what a welcome, just what I needed".Our hearts melted!
I then gave Pierre, the husband, a hug and told him how sorry we were. He is the most adorable man ever, he actually was the branch president in Niort where I served for 4 months as a missionary, 11 years ago! ----Am I that old:( Ryn again without any prodding leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek and then put her arms around him and started patting him on the shoulder with her tiny little hands. He starting crying and thanked me for bringing my "little angel".Kit and I were amazed at Ryn's ability to comfort those in need. She has always been good at it, but in the past it was people she was really familiar with. Ben and his father were still somewhat strangers to her. She has seen them at church before but only really in passing .
I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for sending us these sweet angels that are so very close to Him. Children are so incredible- loving others, even strangers comes so naturally to them. They truly are the pure in heart and are sent to us to help us be better and understand the love that our Father in Heaven has for us. I now better comprehend the love he has for me and all of His children now that I am a father and have that power to love that my parents always tried to explain to us as children. ---"You will never know how much we love each of you, until you have children of your own". And you know what........they were right!!! Thanks for the love Mom and Dad.
Again along the same theme of children understanding what real love is... this morning Kit and I were snuggling on the couch while Ryn was playing with her toys. When she turned and saw us though, she came running over to us and scurried up into our laps and started hugging us both. She pushed our faces together for a family kiss . I guess the quote that says--"The best thing a father can do for his kids is show them how much he loves their mother"-- is right on!
We prayed a lot and are greatful for all of the great advice and prayers of so many to help us in our decision, to stay here or go home. We feel that we do need to be here to help in any way we can. From basketball to serving in our callings to allowing Ryn this time to learn some more french. After all it's only for another 7 months, we might be done after this year and wanted to soak up as much as we could of sightseeing, chocolate,pastries, and just this time together.
A quick note on our last game we lost 76-106. Yep a real smackdown! Our team just was not ready to play. At the end of the 1st half it was 39-53 and I had 21 of the 39. I was so frustrated during the game because the guys they had guarding me just couldn't. They were too slow, too young or whatever but I had to keep begging for the ball. You would think that after lastyear (leading scorer,MVP of our division) they would want to use me .Forget the fact that they are paying me. But if they want results then they need to go with what is working.If it's me great, if it's someone else great too! I dont care I just want to win. I finished with 34pts. We are 1-1.

Jungle Puma-Sept 27,2007

One of the reasons for a recent lack of sleep must surely be attributed to the Jungle Puma.
Let me Explain—–1st of all our house is an older house with old hard wood floors upstairs. All of the bedrooms are upstairs. So any walking around once the girls are asleep is frowned upon because you either need to creep from plank to plank like a master thief or fly across the wood floor like a dancer from “Lord of the Dance” which I am not too fond of either in the middle of the night. So needless to say both our bladders have become quite resilient. Elle has just recently developed what I call the “Jungle Puma” this is her way of letting us know that she is awake, would like to be held, or whatever. This isn’t a cry of pain or hunger either. Let me share with you what this sounds like and in our house with tile floors and wood floors the sound carries.
Ryn often endures for a good while and then will either say “shhhh is ok elle” or shoot a frustrated glance in Elles direction. We have learned to laugh and love every sound she makes even if it is quite shrill.
I just finished reading an article in a parenting mag about a father who’s life was turned upside down when they had their baby girl. He even resented his baby girl for cutting into or completely eliminating the things in his life that were his like his reading time, sleep, naps,sporting events and traveling. Also his intimate time with his wife. I can relate and understand what he is feeling. But I also can’t help but be thankful for how these little ones drive us and yes sometimes force us to be better people. After all is it not a life of 24/7 service, love, sacrifice and giving? President Hinckley said something I love regarding his long, happy marriage with Sister Hinckley. He said,” If we are always striving to put their needs before our own then things will work out”.
I agree with that 100%……But what happens when these little people slide in with their—-”We would like our needs met right now –please”—if they say please. How do we keep from giving so much all the time to these children we’ve been entrusted with without neglecting the needs of our eternal companion? Well, don’t expect me to have the answers as we are still fairly new to the parenting world. But I can say that if we can even try to at least talk and truly listen to one another, it helps! The temple is huge–reading and praying together is so important to feel that heavenly help– and lets not forget that too many couples these days are just trying to “stay in love” instead of “falling deeper in love”. The little things are really big things in a family setting. Think of how much we treasure some quiet time to talk or snuggle. Or how giddy we feel when we go out for dinner and a movie sans kids. Or something special and unexpected as small as it might be. I must admit when I was courting Kit and during our first few years of marriage I was really good at all these things. But it’s time for Dr love to make a permanent stay It’s time for me to remind Kit of what an amazing, beautiful, sexy woman she is to me!

She's getting too smart for us!-Sept 27,2007

Well Our little angel is definatley getting to smart for us way too early. The past few nights when Ryn senses it’s bedtime she grabs every book in the house and starts piling them up next to her. We read the children’s animated scripture book with her every night, so she figures “hey, what’s 18 more books right’? We love her so much and she really is a great big sister.

So Tired!-Sept 26,2007

We are both so tired! The transition back to France this year just hasn’t been the same. All of our sleeping paterns are out of whack. To boot the day after we arrived the club told us they are having financial problems with a sponser so if we wanted what we had agreed upon for this year I would have to do some work on the side! ARGH!!!! We told them that we had already given up more money with other teams to come back here so if they couldn’t find a solution we were going home. They were not expecting that apparently hoping that since I am a nice guy that I would just say, “okay”. They are now scrambling to make it work.We won our first game saturday 89-67. I finished with 20pts. It was a good win and also a very sentimental one as Thierry(our coach) lost his brother in August to a heart attack-he (Samuel) was only 33. The whole town has been really having a hard time dealing with the loss, especially Thierry. I can’t help but feel that we are supposed to be here to maybe help in some way. I know exactly what he is going through from losing Darren. In fact the other day I was driving to pick up the Elders and had the most vivid image pop into my mind. It was of Samuel in the Spirit World hoping with all his might that I will share the gospel with his family. Knowing that it might be the only time in their lives when they are in this close of contact with a member of the church and maybe their only chance to hear and accept.
We are always trying to do missionary work here but sometimes I get sucked into this lame way of thinking where I for some reason start to decide who is ready and willing to hear about the gospel. Such as–”well that guy would never give up his smokes and wine” or “they are just not going to listen”. When in reality our only job is to give as many people as we can the chance to hear the truth and then let the spirit do the converting, cleansing and changing of these people and their lives. The responsibility to share this gift with others can definatly be overwhelming at times but when it all boils down to it if we have the right intentions and we pray for the spirit to guide us then we should have nothing to fear. We also know that trials are placed in our lives to bring us to our knees and turn to God. I pray that they will listen. I can’t imagine having to deal with losing Darren without the knowledge of the gospels message of peace, hope and understanding

My 1st blog!-Sept 25, 2007

Well after much thought and being inspired by our good friend Michelle I decided to tackle an attempt at blogging. I am terrible at writing in my journal but love uploading photos, so I thought why not combine the two and see what happens.
The real driving desire to do this came lastnight when after we got the girls to bed Kit and I started reading the family blog of our good friend Michelle. Her entries of the days events and all the insights she gave, not to mention the great memories she captured were a big eye opener to what we all miss when we don’t slow down enough to take in all the miracles and life lessons going on right in front of us. We were both so touched by the tender experience she shared of Mary’s self -coiffing. After reading that I said ” I too want to learn from the everyday things!” “I too want to capture all the cute, funny, adorable and sometimes crazy things my girls do” “I too want to share my joys, sorrows ,blessings and trials with those I love!” Thanks for inspiring me Michelle and who knows if I keep it up maybe someday my girls will really love being able to read about their lives as little girls in France with mommy and daddy.So here we go and I hope you all will enjoy our adventures as much as I do! !