Explanation

Since I treat this blog like a journal that I happen to share with family and friends, I'll explain why the lapse in posting:

Early in the Fall, my wonderful Grandma Delpha Park passed away at age 94. I went home to Washington for her funeral and to be with family. While at home I shared the happy news that we were expecting another baby, due in June. I was very tired with this pregnancy. After Christmas, during a routine ultrasound, we found out our expected baby boy had passed away. It was another week before I miscarried. I was 18 weeks pregnant. It took some time, but life feels pretty normal again and even though we have had sad events, there have also been very happy ones. 

Here are highlights since our last post: 

Sam gets a pet

This was our family's second pet. The first was a snake that Scott got a few years ago. It did not last long at our house. I seem to have a phobia for snakes and the pet was exiled to the basement. Our washer and dryer were also in the basement and Scott had to take over laundry duty until he found a new home for the reptile, because I was not going to be in the same room with a snake! 

This pet was better. Sam took good care of his little hamster, feeding and cleaning her cage. He named her Sasha. The kids all liked playing with her.  Sadly, her life only lasted a month or so and one morning when Sam went to feed Sasha, his little pet had died. 

Now Sam is taking horseback riding lessons. Once a week he gets to ride and groom horses at a stable just a couple minutes from our house. I really like this pet arrangement.

Here is a young Sam letting the pet snake slither all over him. Sam named the snake Grandfather. I bet Grandfather would have liked Sasha, for dinner that is.

First Day of School

Owen and Ruby continue at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School (RMMS). Sam started middle school at the Inter-district School for  Arts And Communication (ISAAC).

Halloween and Violet's obsession with pirates!

Thanksgiving (Grandma and Grandpa Jensen came to our house)

Christmas (and then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Jensen's house) 

Lining up  by age before going downstairs for Christmas morning (a Park and Jensen family tradition continued.)

A visit to the Smithsonian.

The Christmas lights at the Washington D.C. Temple

Worst Winter Ever

It dragged on and on until April. The kids have a weeks worth of snow days to make up at the end of the school year.

Sam ice skating on our pond. It wasn't long before we had too much snow to ice skate anymore.

Owen gets ready to sled. The kids eventually got tired of sledding. Mostly because the snow was so deep the sled would get stuck and then it was so much work to climb back up the hill.

101 Dalmatians Play

Sam is the handsome boy in the red sweater. He played Roger, a leading role in the musical. He did a great job!

Concert at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Norwich

You can't see me, but I'm singing soprano with this glorious choir in a breathtaking building. We are singing Mozart's Requiem and it was amazing!