amazing Grace

Grace Ligaya

14 months

age 2

age 2

age 2.5

age 3

age 4

age 4

age 5

age 5

age 5

age 6

age 6

And Just like that she's 7

My favorite Color:  Blue

Favorite Movie:  The Star

Favorite TV Show: The Who Was Show

Favorite Activity: Coloring

Favorite Song:  Let's get Loud

Favorite Food:  Spaghetti

Favorite Restaurant:  Red Lobster 

Favorite Animal:  Dog

Favorite Friends:  Adelaide Day and Hayden Moe

Favorite thing to do: Jump on the trampoline

What I want to be when I grow up:  Work at a Pound.

Something I really like:  Dogs

Something I really don't like:  Cleaning

Favorite thing about myself: My bangs

If I had one wish it would be:  To get a kitten

Favorite thing to do with Mom:  Watch a movie

Favorite thing to do with Papa:  Be super bounced

Favorite thing to do with Siblings:  Play

Height  45 inches

Weight  47.9 lbs

Moving to a new area right before your birthday can be hard sometimes.  Grace really missed celebrating her birthday with her Tacoma friends, but we had a wonderful time with family and new friends.

All week Gwenevere and Grace worked hard preparing for the celebrations.  Gwenevere and Grace made a dementor pinata and party hats.  They mailed out invitations and helped pick out decorations.

The night before Grace's birthday we decorated. 

Once Grace was asleep, Gwenevere informed me that Grace was hoping to have balloons and streamers hanging from her door in the morning.  What a good big sister.  We didn't have streamers so we hung balloons.  Watching her come out of her room the next morning was priceless.  

James made breakfast while Grace helped me bake some birthday brownies.  

Then we loaded up in the van and picked up some friends.  

Then we met Rebecca and the boys at a Paint your own Pottery Studio.  

All the kids had fun painting. 

James helped kids paint while I painted.  

Taking 7 kids to a paint your own pottery place isn't the less stressful thing you can do for a party but overall it was quite pleasant.   We only had one figurine break and plenty of stop and go painting.

 We pick up the finished artwork tomorrow.  I can't wait to see what they look like.

 After painting it was time to have lunch.  We went back home and I made some sandwiches while the kids played.  After lunch Grace opened presents and then we had brownies and Ice Cream before smashing the pinata.  The whole day was fun.

Puppies from Charlie and Miles

A pen from Grandpa Don

I put my camera down and didn't take any pictures of the pinata but they kids had fun smashing it.  

This past year has been a complete joy.  Grace has been my happy middle child,  willing to help, play with her siblings and lead our family in scripture study and prayer.  Her testimony of Jesus Christ has been a light to our family in a very busy year full of changes.  

Grace loves to ride her bike, sing, dance, play with siblings and help with projects.  She is also always asking to go on daddy daughter dates and doesn't turn down a chance to spend one on one time with either of her parents.  

Grace has learned to read, and has continued to develop her talents in art.  

Grace hopes to take ice skating lessons this fall and join a dance class.  Maybe even start piano.

Grace looks forward to meeting baby brother and learning more about taking care of a baby. 

She is also preparing to be baptized next year.  

Happy Birthday GRACE!

Moving: part 1

As June started to come to an end it was time for James to start working in Eugene.  We found an AirBnB that he could rent for the week.  

playing with papa's beard before he left for his first week of work.  We missed him while he was gone.

The first few days at his job where smooth and easy.  He reported happily that this was going to be a good fit for him.  YAY!  

While James was working I was busy packing.  Overwhelmed by all that still needed to be done we changed our plans a bit.  

Grace got a haircut 

And Gwenevere too

long and beautiful.  

James' work offered to give James some more time off to help. With the extra few days.  James took the train back up to Tacoma and helped me finish packing.

Grandma Sharolee and Grandpa Don came too.  We packed, we cleaned, and we played.  

Picking up Papa

Lots of hugs

Cleaning the fishtank for Grandma Sharolee to take.  She fish-sat for us until we could move.  

Mommy Son Date

Last time playing in the yard with sprinklers

Everett: "I have water in my eyes."  

The night before we got our moving truck I woke up in a complete panic.  Tomorrow we would be picking up our moving truck, James will load up all our belongings except for our camping supplies and then he would leave for Eugene the next day.  I would spend the next few days alone in our empty house with my kids until we where to go camping.  I felt like our lives where falling apart.  

We had put an offer on a house in Eugene and they had accepted our offer but we hadn't heard back from the inspection or the appraisal.  Things where still so up in the air yet everything familiar was coming to an end.  I wanted James to stay with us more then anything at the moment.  But he was needed in Eugene.  

James must of sensed my worry because he woke up shortly after I had.   I took a minute to explain my fears and let the tears roll down my cheeks while James wrapped his arms around my shoulder and listened.  Since we where sleeping on air mattresses in our family room all together with the kids we decided to move our conversation into our empty bedroom so not to wake the kids.  

It was there, in our bedroom, where James gave me a blessing.  with encouragement I was blessed that I would enjoy this time with my children and that I would feel comforted in the unknown.  

Immediately sleep came and the rest of the night was peaceful.

The next morning we woke up early to pick  up our u-haul.  

Driving back home with the Mt. Rainier in view was a moment I'll never forget.  So many feelings.  Wonderful feelings,  Feelings of gratitude for being able to live in this area, to have the friends we have experienced life here.     

We dropped off the Uhaul and joyed our ward family for a 4th of July Breakfast.  YUMMY!  Then we invited others to come back and help us load up our truck.  We had a great turnout.  Thank you DashPoint Ward.  The house was fully packed within an hour and a half.  Popcicles had been eaten and everyone was tired. 

this is how Everett cops with moving day.  

after we loaded up the truck the kids helped me do some cleaning and then we went swimming at our local community center for the last time.  after swimming we where hungry so we went out to eat for the last time.  Yummy Roman.  

and we splurged and got dessert

 We decided to take family pictures outside our home one last time before the day ended.  Then that night we walked around our neighborhood and watched the fireworks from around the sound. 

The next day James took off with the U Haul.  a few sisters from our ward came and helped me clean.  

Earlier in June Gwenevere asked if she could go to camp this summer.  She's participated in some kind of summer camp the past few years.  With the move I didn't think it was possible.  But the week before we moved I got an ad on my facebook page about a summer art camp where they would be making their own skateboards.  The camp was half price and was the last week we'd be in Tacoma.  I signed her up and told her the next morning we'd get to do summer camp.  She was so excited.  And the camp was perfect.  It gave her something to do while the house was bare.