High on Candy!

This is after the kids went trick or treating for 3 hours. We got one huge bowl full of candy, plus their pumpkins were all half way full after that. I have been eating all of the chocolate. =) The Lion, the Witch and the Pirate met other monsters and ghosts in the neighborhood. There is one house here where a handicapped child lives. Halloween is his favorite holiday and so his parents dec out their house with at least a dozen BIG, blow up figures. Visiting that house was the highlight of their Halloween night. Thanks to Andrea from William for sending him a pirate patch. He is not wearing it in this pic, but he was so happy to have it. =)

Lion and mommy

I love my little lion cub!

Happy Halloween from the Pope kids

Happy Halloween! We had fun at our yearly party and got lots and lots of candy! We sure miss everyone back home though. The kids had fun this year and it is good seeing how happy it makes them.

Vocabulary Day at school

For Leah's school Halloween party they had the kids dress up in costumes. They all wore signs with vocabulary words describing what they were or something about their costumes. This year Leah was a duck or less expressed, "a fowl." She was quacking all day. =)

Life and Times in Saudi Arabia

I was so happy to have my parents come down to help me with one of our quarterly Relief Society meetings. Mom helped me make Tabouli (a Saudi type salad), Umm Ali (a Saudi bread pudding) and other Arab dishes. They brought all of their Saudi keepsakes and we displayed them in the RS room. Dad gave the most interesting presentation on their life's experience in Saudi Arabia, as well as Lehi's trail through the wilderness. Dad looked very handsome with his suit on and I was so proud of him. I will make this an official THANK YOU to them for going out of their way for doing that for me. Thanks so much dad and mom!

Love, Julie

The Arlington airport "Fly In"

Today we went to the air show they put on every July. People come in from all over to show off their planes and flying skills. There were so many different kinds of airplanes!!! It was a good time!

p.s. Yes, I know my blogging skills suck!!

Helicopter fun

The helicopter on the left is the same helicopter on the right. We got to see inside after it landed.

Crazy people in the sky

The planes did amazing acrobatics!

War stuff

There were all sorts of war displays. They had Lynard Skynyrd
playing. I thought that was a good touch.
William loved the truck full of riffles and weapons.
That is a dummy behind Will if you were wondering.
Stan was a little scared of him. He did look dead if you ask me.

Canadian fighter jet

Towards the end of the show the fighter jets came out. They were very fast and reminded me of Gulf War times. This one just didn't seem as mean being Canadian and all. =)

Want to see a good movie?

If you want to see a good movie with good action as well as content rent: Taken

Loosing teeth like crazy

Two days ago Leah lost her first tooth! The upper left, biggest one was the first one to go. Today she was savoring a yummy grapefruit and lost the second one on the bottom left underneath the first tooth. She likes sticking her tongue through the hole. She will be getting more money from the tooth fairy tonight. If she keeps this up the tooth fairy will have to take a vacation, or not because of lack of fundage. =) It is fun to see our little girl grow up. =)

Thinking of my Parents

Today is the very last day of over 19 years that my parents have lived in Saudi Arabia. They have packed up all of their stuff and are traveling out of the country as I write this. I've thought many times what it would be like to live close to my parents again. As many of you know I moved up here to Washington about 6 months ago form Pleasant Grove, Utah. My dad and mom are moving into their beautiful home in American Fork, Utah, about 10 minutes away from where I used to live. This was a very difficult move for me because I knew that my dad and mom where coming back for good after almost two decades. Fifteen years of which I lived away from them. I thought, "What, I have to move away when my parents are just moving back so close?" This prevented me, for some time from receiving the Lord's answer to my prayer, which was that we should move here. I struggled with it, although through some inner searching I realized that distance does not separate the heart. In fact distance makes the heart grow fonder. As my heart has grown in fondness for my parents over the years there has also been a longing to be with them in body. I am so happy for my mom and dad. Both of them are examples of love to me. I know now, that I will see them more often and that our relationship will continue to grow and take on new sides. I'm excited for this new time and new horizon that is before them. I think that the most beautiful part of any relationship is the joy that is felt in being and letting the moments flow. =) This is the peace that is found when we let live and love. Love you dad and mom! I am excited to celebrate with you in the sun.

Oak Harbor at Anacordes

Yesterday the kids and I went to the beach to enjoy the nice weather and to appreciate nature. It is so beautiful here in Washington.

Curious beach

Will picked up big rocks and chucked them in the water while Stan picked up handfuls of sand. Stan tried to run in the water a couple times.

Happy beach

It was perfect weather to spend the afternoon here.

The Tulip Fields

We went to see the beautiful tulips about 30 minutes from our house. They had fields of red, yellow, pink and purple ones. It smelled sweet.

Pink!

We had to dodge the orientals in this pic. Leah did a good job aiming. The pink ones were my favorite.

Lots of yellow and sun

The sun was so bright that Leah couldn't keep her eyes open. There was a no-trespassing sign here, but we didn't get caught. =)

THE SEATTLE AQURIUM

The kids and I got out to see the fishies and slimy under water creatures at he aquarium last tuesday. We saw star fish, an octopus, seals, birds, and lots and lots of different fish. The kids got to touch the crabs and sea urchins. Stan liked that part the most. It was even nice weather, so we took a walk out by the sound. The kids loved it and it was actually relaxing for me.

Scuba Sue and Willy too.

This was my first trip to Seattle since we have been here. The aquarium was huge and so was the city.

Pretty fish tanks

Leah took this picture. In this particular tank the fish would swim around and around and around the outside of the tank. Fish are very fun to watch.

Stan liked the fish dome

Stanley was so happy this day which made it extra enjoyable for everyone. He was so curious about the fish and was just beaming the whole day. What a joy he is!!

Fun memories

One of the other host families had a death in their family so we have had 2 Japanese homestay students at our home for the past 2 nights. They are a lot of fun. They made us a interesting rice desert tonight. We went shopping at the mall all day. This is their last night here. We have enjoyed this experience of getting to know Yurie and her friend Mayou. I think they have had fun with us as well.

Japam meets Redneck America

Last weekend we took our foreign exchange student, Yurie to the backwoods to ride dirt bikes and make a fire. I think that she was a little out of her element, but this is a very "American" thing to do.

Yurie and Stan enjoyinf the fire

We roasted hot dogs and made sure Stan didn't fall into the fire pit.

Cute muddy and sad face

William was loving going through the mud puddles and caught one way too fast. The bike fell over and he went face first into the mud. And yes, that is a boody nose.

Right back on the bull

He is sooo resilient. He was happy to keep riding with a muddy and bloody face.

Japan meets motorhead.

Jeff took Yurie for a ride on the Harley!

A beautiful lunch

This is my lunch I had today. Yummy yummy greens and beans!!!

My Amazing Machine

I have discovered so much about myself this past year. What an amazing trip this has been to discover so many things about myself that I didn't know where there. I am developing a love for by own body that I have never before felt. I have studied the workings of the body, but never really appreciated what it can really do until now. I would rather try to land a 747 with no prior flight training than try to operate my liver for one minute. The body is an amazing machine given to us by the Lord. This has really helped me to monitor what I put into my body. I also know that the Lord is full of mercy and love. When I do fall off the bandwagon it is easier to forgive myself because I am aware of this. Isn't it neat that we can breath without even thinking about it? =)

Fuffy

This is "Fuffy" the snow man. That's what Leah named him. =)

My sweatered munchkins

I thought that I would post these cute pics of my kids in their sweaters. Stanley's smile makes me melt in this one. Leah is just so proud to be the only girl and the oldest. William's blue eyes are really going to get the girls chasing him someday. I think he may get them from his Grandpa Dave. I have Hazel eyes and Jeff has brown eyes. I think that Stan has my ears. It is fun to see parts of Jeff and I in all three of them. I love being a mother. It is a joy that cannot be expressed fully.

What do you think of the darker hair? (Comments wanted)

I know, this is the best picture of me. I decided to color my hair a couple of months ago. This is really close to my actual, natural color. It has gotten way dark over the years. We miss everyone in the family and hope to see everyone soon.

Same cheeks, top and bottom. =)

Life is soooooooo hard.

"I can't believe how horrible this is." "It is just so hard!" "I just can't stand it!" "I'll have to sit down now."