Letter to Argentina and Paraguay

This is the letter Lizzie sent to mom and dad and Ryan. It's just so...Lizzie!!
Hi Grandma and Grandpa and Rynan,
I am doing 'gynastics'. I do backbends, cartwheels, do balance 'beans' and trampoline and I do swining and jumps. I am already in school. I go to a church that's right by our house, my teacher in my primary class is mom and my preschool teacher's name is Miss Amy and my 'gynastics' teacher's name is Mr. Zach. My teachers are funny. It's winter. And I love the weather it's really pretty. My sister and brother are at school right now. Hos are you?
On Monday we went swimming. My brother and sister are in swimming lessons, just letting you know. I can swim so good by myself but that's only when mom and dad catch me. Sometimes with my sisters and brother, too. We can see Pike's Peak from our house. We have a new house. It's a chocolate house (fyi, it's brown so she calls it chocolate). We moved all of the stuff in the house, of course I got a new bike, it's got a horn on it, beep-beep!
We have a fridge that we never had before. I love my fridgerator because it has water in it that you can put in your cups and it only has cold water and you can drink it, so anywhoo. (I'm typing exactly what she says!)
I watch High School Musical a lot. I love Princess and the Pauper (a Barb ie movie) did you know that Carly and Cassidy gave it to me? How's Argentina?
We go to Mr. Bigg's a lot (it's like a 49th Street Galleria, but better) We go to Focus on the Family too and some of my friends have their birthday parties there and it's really fun. And what else I do is go to a fun school that's really fun. My 'gynastics' class is really fun. Colorado is a big state. And anywhoo... I go...my mom is going to let me go to ballet when I grow up. I have to be in kindergarten thought, it's going to be a long time before I go to ballet. and anywhoo...
I have a princess room and a princess bed and my whole room is filled with princess and I love princesses. and anywhooo...thank you for Mr. Gingles and my care bare blankie. I know that's kind of funny because my dad's name is "Mr." and my Mr. Gingles is a girl but that's what I named her. I miss you in Argentina and Paraguay. I'll be fourteen when you come back (not quite!!) Maybe seven when you come back I mean. Well, anywhoo....
I have a lot of new friends and my sister and brother are having a lot of fun ion primary and it sounds like they are having a lot of fun and I think that's a good thing.
Adios!! bye bye spaghetti oh's
Lizzie

Swim lessons

Sam and Trey have been taking swimming lessons on Saturdays and they love it.

This is Lizzie's best friend Claire. They have a serious love/hate relationship. But they can't be apart for more than a day without having serious withdrawls!!
So, as many of you know Lizzie has a serious twisting hair and then pulling it out problem. We had tried to bribe her with a quarter every day that she doesn't twist her hair, and that didn't work for even one day. Then we tried tapping into her being a big girl. Steve says to her "You know four year olds don't suck their thumb." Her reply was "This one does." Ok, that didn't work. I had to cut her hair really short this week and I thought that would help. Oh, no it didn't. By tuesday she had a huge bald spot on the top of her head. I was beginning to think we would have to shave her head. Then I decided to go buy some of that stuff you put on their thumbs that makes them not want to suck their thumbs. Well, we are on day three and she hasn't sucked her thumb or twisted her hair. She is VERY proud of herself and after one week we are going to let her buy something fun. I hope this works!!!
Trey was trying to practice his cello on Monday and Lizzie was dancing all over the family room singing and Trey says "Lizzie, go away you're bothering me while I'm celloing." Yes, he invented his own verb.

Air Force Cheer Clinic

Sam did her second clinic with the Air Force on Saturday. They cheered during the Wyoming v. Air Force game. She had a great time and she did great. She even took a bow after they were done, I think I was the only one who noticed, but I got a good laugh out of

Valentine's suprise!!

Steve went to Phoenix and wasn't supposed to be home until 6pm. He got an earlier flight and was able to be home at 3pm. We went out for Sushi and when we came home the doorbell rang, it was a singing telegram for me from my sweetie!! It was so great. One of the men is in our stake, he actually was the first stake president in Colorado Springs. Steve and he are in Rotary together. Steve arranged this weeks ago and it was a wonderful suprise. They were fantastic and the kids thought they were great too. I have a such great sweetheart!!

Sara's Homecoming

We represented the Fisher family on Sunday at Sara's homecoming. She did a great job and I can't believe how mature and grown up she is. It was fun to see the Fishers. Their kitchen looks awesome, and I know Terri's going to love having that much space!! Our kids love Michael and Chrissy so it was a trial getting them out of the house. We were sad Grandma and Grandpa couldn't make it. Being there made me very anxious for Ryan to come home. Our kids ask about once a week how much longer he has. It's so fun to hear all of the RM's stories!! We are loving being so close to families and being able to experience so many things that we missed out on being back east.

Mom's night "off"

Sam is making her first dinner by herself (with a little bit of help)


Lizzie was making caramel rolls at the same time....can you say mess!!!







It's so fun to see Sam growing up. She bought herself a cookbook at the school book fair yesterday and decided she was going to fix dinner last night for us. It was a lot of fun and she did a great job. She made a white sauce and it turned out great, no lumps at all!! She also made a salad to go with it. She was very proud of herself. Lizzie was making the caramel rolls and kept asking Sam "How's it going over there Sam?"

Trey's cello concert

Trey has been taking cello lessons since September. He is doing very well. He is taking lessons through the Mozart Strings which is associated with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. It is a great program and he is learning a ton. It's fun to be able to hear him play and to watch his progress. This concert was the second one this year and it's great to see the improvement from the last time. The cello he is playing is only 1/8 size, and the go up three more sizes before they play the regular size. The kids at the high school think they are so cute because his cello is almost the size of a regular viola!!

Steve's new toy

Steve finally got his own bike. He was very excited and he got a great deal on it. The kids of course wanted a turn and it was FREEZING outside. When Lizzie and Steve came back her eyes were watering, her nose was running and she had the biggest grin on her face. "That was so fun!!!"