This is the hole in the shower.

It is so nice to have the digital camera back.  We have been going picture crazy.  Only because we can.

Yesterday after a lovely Easter service, we took Mom and Adriane Anderson to the beach and to look around Pepperdine for a little while.  It is so pretty out there.  We don’t go often enough.  Serra~V~ wasn’t too thrilled with the sand.  When it got wet and stuck too her she threw a fit.  She doesn’t like “stuff” getting on her.  She reacted the same way when the frosting from her cake got on her. 

We came home to Gary’s family already arrived and a nice ham and funeral potato dinner.  We partook.  Serra~V~ enjoyed it as well.  She is starting to show a little more interest in food, although not as much as I would like her to.

After dinner the Easter bunny paid a call and the kids all found their color separate eggs.  David took the longest.  Joseph even found the one hidden inside a balloon.  Serra~V~ jetted outside and started collecting her eggs before I even took notice.  She immediately found two and picked them up and shook them.  She threw them on the ground to get them to open and before I could stop her had a huge piece of chocolate in her mouth and was drooling yellow m&m candy coating.  It sure didn’t take her long to figure this whole thing out.

Serra~v~ surely enjoyed having so much attention this weekend.  She worked her Grandma Anderson and Auntie Adriane for all the attention they were willing to give.  And that was plenty. 

Here are the pictures.

Partay!

Food…Folks…Fun… that’s what it’s all about.  Grandma Anderson and Auntie Adriane arrived last night and today Gary and Liesl and their crew showed up.  We had enchiladas and fresh avacado salsa.  As Auntie Serra would say, it was deeelish.  The cake was tasty too and I have never seen such a small person eat such a big peice of cake.  Joseph that is.  Liesl just about had a heart attack when she saw how big a piece I put on his plate.  But he polished it off and wasn’t even green after.  Serra~V~ had a great time with all her family.  She is getting as much attention as she likes.   I am getting all sorts of things done like updating Xanga the same day.  Everyone was very generous and Serra brought in quite the haul.  Her Arnell cousins gave her a little mini berka lounger.  OK, so it doesn’t recline, but it is in the shape of tigger and even has a tail.  Jeff would dig a bigger version of it.  Her Anderson relatives brought some noisy toys much to Serra’s delight, and much to Grandpa Arnells dismay.  A little piano that rides on the back of a wiener dog and a popcorn push toy will bring hours of fun.  Lots of books and clothes too.  Grandma Arnell was thinking about summer and gave her a pool an intertube and swim diapers, and an easter bib too.  We gave her lots of music, the toy box, a new outfit and shoes, and a few toys.  So now for what you all want…pictures of the festivites.  Thanks all who came and had fun with us and were so generous to our little boogus. 

1 YEAR!

We can’t believe it has been a year.  It has been such a wonderful one at that.  We went and took pictures yesterday and for the first time in her short life Serra didn’t do so hot. She wasn’t feeling well.  She is working on her top molars still and was definitely feeling it yesterday.  We got some of them but will go in next week to finish the sitting.  I will post the family ones now and when we get her single pictures in we will send those on as well.  Happy birthday to our Serras namesake as well.  We love you and have been thinking of you all day. 

Brian did a nice thing yesterday and took Serra~V~ with him to a YM activity so I could have some time to work on my RS lesson for today.  Well, after about an hour, I was finished with what I needed to do and so was able to tackle some other things that I needed to do.  It is amazing how much one is able to accomplish without any interuptions.  The lesson went well.  Thankyou Brian. 

I picked up two rolls of film yesterday during my break and included were pictures from Nojoqui Falls back in March and Jacobs birthday celebration.  I have pictures for Liesl and some completed pages for Julie.  Here are some of the cute ones. 

This was at Jacob’s birthday party.  The 3 muskateers wore Uncle David out.

Somebody likes music.  Can you guess who it is?  This person would rather help her uncle practice piano than eat.

Here are some Conference Weekend tidbits.  Katrina kindly posed for me in all her purple glory in the purple tree. Jacob tolerated me.  Mom and I caught Gary having a sweet fatherly moment outside with his three when the festivities were nearly over.

Here are some shots from Nojoqui Falls.  Julie was so kind and packed Serra~V around.  SV loved it and played with Julile’s hair the whole time.  (One of her favorite things to do) Joseph and katrina gave me many photo moments.

The top one here is one of the 1st days of walking.  You can tell she is quite pleased with herself.  Below is from Conference weekend when she was watching all the kids play outside.  The last is just our little monkey enjoying the out of doors.  She escapes into the back yard when ever she gets the chance.  Auntie Julie says Serra~V looks like a sausage, like she is all stuffed into skin that’s too tight.  I think that she looks most sausage like in this pink sweatsuit.  I never knew a sausage could be so cute. 

Conference Weekend was lovely and was well covered by Dad.  I will say for journal purposes though that the weather was perfect.  Some of us even sustained slight sunburns while sitting out on the deck between sessions.  The emphasis this time seemed to be on strengthening the family and missionary work.  Convenient for me is the Family bits since that is the topic of my RS lesson on Sunday.  I think I may even show one of the talks. 

Now for news on Serra~V~.  After a few months of a cheery girl, the last week has been a little tough.  She hasn’t been sleeping well and with the masses of teeth coming in has been stuffed up as well.  Sunday I noticed that her ear was oozing too.  Ear infection.   I took her into the doctor first thing Monday so I could get her started on the dreaded antibiotics.  So now she will start feeling better and hopefully with the advice I got from Dr. Gregg and Dr. Liesl the affects from the meds will be less explosive than her previous experiences.  (Although she kindly exploded on Grandma’s lap this morning…oops) 

She is having a grand time with all the new independence.  In the evening when everyone is home she travels from room to room visiting everyone in turn.  She especially loves when one of her uncles is practicing guitar.  She hears the strum and off she runs to listen.  Sometimes during the day she wanders into their room and strums the guitar a few times before I remove her from the area and close the door. 

She also figured out how to get outside on her own.  After watching her cousin Jacob use his hands on the sliding door, she tried it herself and was victorious.  I caught her climbing up on the deck last week.  She was very perturbed when I brought her back indoors and locked the door.  She is almost tall enough to reach the lock.  Hopefully, it will be a while before she figures that one out. 

She is starting to recognize words.  She knows what daddy, mommy, grandma, grandpa, bye bye, and monkey mean.  She like to point and wave and of course, jabber.  We are having a great time. 

Brian has his laptop carrying case (still waiting on the laptop), has registered for classes, and has been granted funding.  We are still amazed that there are people and institutions that are willing to loan us this amount of money.  Just a few weeks till school starts.

Yes, she does like beans.  Although they don’t change much on their way through. 

Serra did not sleep well last night, due to a stuffy nose.  I wondered today if her teeth were giving her problems as she continued to be quite ornery this morning.  INDEED!  She has swollen top gums.  Who knows how many are trying to come through up there.  And she has as new one that came through last night next to the the bottom front, and its partner is making its presence known too.  At this same time she is still working on those cursed bottom molars.  So, we are looking at at least 6 right now.  Poor little tootis.  She is miserable.  Luckily she is sleeping right now.  We had 4 months of nothing as far as her teeth were concerned.  She really should try to space things out a bit.  I guess no one told her.                                      

Plans for conference are being completed.  Mom sat down and ran the list by me this morning.  Do any of us realize what kind of work goes into this Arnell holiday.  It is a great deal.  Weeks of preparation.  At least with Christmas everyone is busy and understands.  With your own holiday though, life continues to go on and so Mom keeps up with everything else and prepares a wonderful festive party of sorts.  I guess it is our own version of the Superbowl.  A holiday centered around the TV.  Brian may not agree with my analogy but at least he will enjoy the superbowl type treats even if’n there is no football.  Maybe in the future the family will all come home for conference. 

I forgot to mention Serra~V~’s 2 new teeth.  She seems to always get them in twos.  Two bottom molars busted through this past weekend and she was not the happier for it.