Random list and pictures.

1.  I love how kids look when they first wake up with messy hair and sleepy eyes. 

  2.  I got the girls’ hair cut, and I’m afraid I did the wrong thing to get  “small” layers in Hazel’s hair.  I wish I would have left it one length. 3.  The other day while eating lunch Hazel asked, “Do teeth get headaches?” 4.  I love people who speak English.  Really. 5.  Somebody gave me some princess pull-ups, and the other day Ethne noticed them in the closet and asked me, “When I’m a baby again can I wear these?”   6.  Hazel had three teeth fall out in the last couple of days- including the top front, as you can see.  I was SOOOOOO SAD!!!!  You see, I had a new outfit that we had bought for Hazel before school started, and I wanted to take her out and get pictures, but I was waiting for my new camera.  I even thought—I’ve got to take them before her top teeth get loose, I want one more nice picture with all her sweet pretty baby teeth.  But unfortunately, I had no warning- they didn’t ever get loose, on Sunday after dinner one of them was suddenly just hanging half out, and after Brett pulled that one, he immediately pulled the other one.  I blame it all on the chewy yummy European bread. 7.  We don’t even know when the other tooth came out.  We were at a party for a friend’s birthday, and we were introduced to a guy who is a dentist, so I jokingly said to Hazel that he could pull out her loose tooth.  Then she felt in her mouth and asked me, “Where’s my loose tooth again?”  It was gone.  We have no idea when it fell out or if she swallowed it or anything.  Perhaps it was when she asked about teeth having headaches.  (Don’t get me wrong, I realize the gap-toothed grin is cute and all, in a funny-looking-cute-kid sort of way, but I was really planning on one last perfect little teeth picture.) 8.  When Brett and I were driving somewhere in Germany or Austria or Italy we were playing the Animal Game, which is where one person picks an animal and the next person has to think of an animal that begins with the last letter of the previous animal.  You can’t use any animal more than once.  (p.s. Jethro is a fantastic help in this game.  As was Blake whom I could call on the walkie-talkie.)  So, we had been playing for quite some time, with several almost wins except then we’d finally think of another animal that starts with an “e” or something like that.  We were to the point where we reduced sometimes to trying to get away with making up something and saying we were positive that such an animal exists, when Brett  said ‘Auck.’  I said that there was no way there was an animal called an auck.  He of course insisted, and we had to write it down so we wouldn’t forget to look up and see who was right.  Well, guess what.  This is an auk.  (So Brett spelled it wrong, but he was right.)  How many of you knew there was an animal called an auk?

9.  I feel like I should cut back on the amount of sweets I eat, but I don’t want to. 10.  When we were in Ticino we had our own little testimony meeting with our friends on Sunday, and I asked Hazel if she wanted to bear her testimony or tell her favorite scripture story.  She then proceeded to say “I’d like to bear my testimony” and then tell the story from the Book of Mormon of Christ visiting America and blessing the children, healing the sick, and how angels came down with the children and they were surrounded by fire.  It was honestly the sweetest, best thing ever to hear her lovely little testimony. 

   11.  When Brett’s family was here we started talking once about what we spend money on.  I believe it started out because we were talking about how Brett and Blake prefer not to spend money going out to eat (okay, we may have been meaner than that and called them stingy in general).  Anyhow, I pointed out that most people, no matter how frugal, generally have one thing that they are willing to spend money on.  Such as Blake spends lots on hunting, guns, fishing, etc.  Brett spends on cars/motorcycles (at least he would if he didn’t live in Switzerland at present).  Then they asked me what I spend on.  And after thinking about it, I’ve decided I like to spend on whatever is in front of me at the time.  ;)  12.  I do like to buy clothes- but sometimes I don’t make sense.  For example, I often see women dressed cute, and I think- oh, I really should buy a necklace and a cardigan for a ‘nicer’ look.  Then what do I order online?  This hoodie: because it looks soooooooo comfy and soft and I will live in it every day this winter.  I couldn’t resist.  Plus I like the color.

(I love the following picture—so cute!) 13.  Currently Brett is looking through pictures online of restored Comets and Opels.  Obviously he’s feeling nostalgic tonight for his old cars.  :)

Jack the Man.

I just have to take a moment and introduce you to the Jacks in my family.

First, my great-grandpa Cougar Jack. I suppose he is the original Jack.

Then Jack my dad.

My brother, Derek Jack (he doesn’t always dress like that, but it would be awesome if he did). His son, Gideon Jack.My son, Talmage Jack (I’d say something here about him being the cutest Jack, but I’m not sure I’m up for all the abuse that will come my way if I did that). Sebastian Jack, son of Kami and Leo.And now- born just a few days ago (on my birthday- cause he knew how awesome that would be!) – the newest Jack! Jack Lloyd, Wyatt and Lindsay Ann’s first son (I say first which obviously implies he’s not your last- right Lindsay Ann?!). This is Grandpa Jack with Baby Jack. And just because it is so amazingly awesome- a picture of Little Jack on his first horseback ride – at 2 days old. (Wyatt, you rock.) At our next get-together, we’ll have to take a picture of all the Jacks together.

School, birthday, and things.

Jethro and Hazel started school on Monday of last week.  It was rainy, so we took pictures inside and my dying camera didn’t do too well, but we got one decent traditional picture (before they put their jackets on to go out). We didn’t do crepes with icecream for breakfast that morning, but we did have them for dessert later on that week.  It’s the first year I missed doing it for breakfast – but it’s only the fourth year I’ve had kids in school, so… Here, here,  and here are the first three years.

Jethro and Hazel walk to school, which starts at 8:20.  Then it gets out at 11:55 and they walk home for lunch.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jethro goes back from 1:50 – 4:15.  And on Wednesdays he goes in early, at 7:30.  Hazel goes back on Thursday afternoons.  Before I moved to Switzerland, I talked a lot to my friend Sarah who had lived for 9 months in Germany with her family.  She had mentioned to me that she had to look at the schedule every day to see when her kids got out or went to school, because it was always different.  Very strange.  But I like that they get to be home most afternoons.  They get Sport twice a week, music, handwork –including woodworking and other things, and of course math, Deutsch, etc.

Ethne is sad that she’s not old enough to go to school.  To me though, she looks like she’s getting much too big!

  This is Talmage’s toe without a nail.  It got banged and fell off not long after.  Don’t worry, he’s a punk, he can take it.  I was so impressed that I could do Ethne’s hair like this!  I had never tried before, because I thought it would be too wispy and thin.  It was pretty cute.  But it fell out pretty quick, being as it’s very wispy and thin. And this picture is especially for Cassidy, because she wasn’t smiling until I told her I would make sure Cassidy saw her picture.  Hi Cassidy! My four kids.  Watching Bambi.  (Except Jethro- he’s reading.  As always.)  (Oh, and that naked baby on the windowsill isn’t mine.) For my birthday  on Saturday Brett and I got babysitters (three in fact—Damaris, Melinda, and Talitha—the kids were overjoyed), and we went and had a grand time together.  First we went on a hike called the Alpbach Gorge.  This is the description found online:

‘The Alpbach gorge is not a place for weaklings!  The breathtaking climb along cliff walls and above the splashing river between Meiringen and Hasliberg is really something. The ascent requires you to be sure-footed and not afraid of heights! There are parts with ladders and some parts without hand rails. The trail should be taken from Meiringen up towards the Hasliberg and it is a cliff trail which you follow at your own risk.’

As soon as I read it was for people who aren’t afraid of heights I wanted to go.  It was really awesome.  Especially since it was really impressive yet not lengthy.  :)  And it really wasn’t as difficult or scary as they made it sound.

This is what we climbed: Next we went on a boat on the Thunersee.  You can ride for free on your birthday.  To be honest though, we found it a bit boring and both of us almost fell asleep.  (We must have been tired.  Or we’re getting old.  Or it was really boring.)  We figured we should have just gone swimming in the lake rather than cruising over it.  I’ll post pictures from the official boat website because they are really awesome and mine were really lame.  It was actually a really hazy day so it didn’t look anything like these nice pictures, but I’ll give you the pictures anyway.  :)       This is my cutie pie Talmage. This is my cutie-pie Hazel.  I thought she looked really cute the other day after church so I took several pictures.     Oh!  I almost forgot to mention the awesomest thing!!!  I had a niece and a nephew born on my birthday!!!  My sister Megan had a little girl, and my sister-in-law Lindsay Ann had a little boy.  Way back when they first told me they were pregnant I told them they should have their babies on my birthday.  Obviously, they recognized how awesome that would be and DID!  I was so impressed.