Pushin up Vaiseys

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Little Miss Zuzu

If you know her then she needs no introduction. If you don't know her you really must meet her. You will never be the same. Here she is over the last few months....ELOISE. She talks, she prays, she screams, she squeals, she expresses, she pleads, she jokes, she demands, she whimpers, she whines, she laughs, she reasons, she negates, she exhorts, she says please and thank you BUT half the time I STILL don't exactly what it is she's saying.

These Old Stone Walls

Getting a PhD is very serious business.

In other news

Steve got his PhD and a job at UC Berkeley. We will be heading out in June to the East Bay. Apparently I am really emotional about it because I can't think of a thing to say. Not a common occurrence, I can assure you. We will miss all of the friends and faces of North Carolina.

Every Year Wether I Need to or Not

It is that time again when I post a year's worth of pictures to get you all up to speed. The last year has been so full. Of course the biggest event of the last year is that Oliver Leon Vaisey was born on September 23 2007. After a pregnancy fraught with (unecessary?) worry he came into the world without much effort or complication. He was born in the same room as Milo and Eloise were and when he came out Steve and I laughed that the birth was over so soon. He has since given us so much cause to smile and laugh. Here is a little collage of Oliver from birth until now.

Surprise Visit --Memorial Weekend 2007

Steve had to leave for another conference the week before Memorial Day and rather than fly solo at home for five days I decided to load the kids up and drive to New York to surprise everyone. I am not sure what part of my brain did the equation of a 12 hour drive alone with three kids vs. a few days at home alone but somehow I computed that the first scenario was far more desirable. The drive turned out to be remarkably painless and well worth the look on Kelly's face hopping out of her bed from a nap when we showed up and Julies face when she turned around and saw the kids in the hall at the school where she works. The whole experience was very rejuvenating for me. I got to sleep A LOT and the kids got to be with Baba Juje having fun. Delia's entire "To Do" list of things to do was accomplished. I remember that S'mores and swimming were on the list. Steve joined us for the weekend and we all drove home together. The trip ended up providing some much needed perspective for me.

Pick a Winner--May 19, 2007

The kids ran up and down the furrow looking for "treasure" and yelling Eureka when they found strawberries. Delia and Milo were intent on filling up their buckets and Eloise was intent on emptying them.

It's a Boy!--May 2007

When we first asked Milo what he would want to call our baby if it was a boy he said "Bomber, or Bombardment". When we found out we were having a boy the name Bomber stuck. So, without further ado, I give you, BOMBER VAISEY due September 28 2007. He looks like he is smiling...maybe he likes the name.

The Sickest Easter Ever--April 2007

Early in April we dyed Easter eggs for Family Home Evening. Soon thereafter we were all attacked by this mystery mouth virus. We had sores all over our mouths and fevers and aches and pains. Eloise was hit first. I blame Chuck E. Cheese exposure. After we got back from a trip up for Lena's first birthday Steve was also struck by nausea and a really bad case of strep. The kids and I still managed to consume an amazing amount of candy. Even Eloise who hadn't really eaten for about a week.

Action Packed Adventure--March 2007

One day in March I woke up and decided I wasn't playing by their rules anymore. After a brief brainstorm with Delia we decided that we would get in the car and just go somewhere. A good ol' fashioned A.P.A. We packed up the family bags for the weekend got in the car and started driving north. We didn't have any place in particular to be and no deadlines. It turned out to be the funnest car trip of our lives. Ultimately we ended up in Richmond for a day at Chuck E. Cheese with Jeff, Kelly and Lena. Then we headed to Colonial Williamsberg and a really nice hotel room with an indoor pool. We spent a great day in Williamsberg with everyone. We all kept saying what a great time we were having every few minutes like it kept creeping up on us and surprising us. I was amazed how much we packed into two and a half days.

DeeDee loses big ol' tooth--Jan/Feb 2007

This tooth dangled there for quite some time but Steve and I didn't have the stomach to yank it out. Seeing as there are two dental students in our building alone we decided to call upon thier services. Our neighbor, Taylor Robinson, came down the hall, numbed her gums with an ice cube and pulled out the tooth with a paper towel just as Delia started getting a bit nervous about the whole process. It was really quite an exciting afternoon.

31-February 2007

Jeff and Kelly came down for a surprise Birthday visit and we had cake and bought my present and had an all round good time. The carrot cake was delish. And that is all I remember from February. Oh yeah...I also remember that we found out I was pregnant again...with a baby...due in September.

One Year Old!--January 2007

Eloise's first year was such a full one and it almost didn't seem real that she turned one. We celebrated with family in New York. I really loved having everyone there for her special milestone.

Merry Christmas Ya'll--December 2006

The first half of December we spent preparing for Christmas and the second half we spent celebrating it. Milo was the shepherd in his preschool's christmas pageant that they performed at a local nursing home. For the ward Christmas party we created an outside starry night scened with millions of twinkle lights and yards of dark blue paper. In one corner we had a commercial Santa nook but the rest was very simple and very Bethlehem. After the party we headed up and spent the rest of our Christmas break in Fairport New York. Matching jammies are a must in my book for Christmas Eve. We rang in the New Year there too where lots of tapioca pudding and whipped cream was consumed.

Sweet November--November 2006

It seemed like our household went into hyperdrive in November of last year. We put on the bookfair (please reference the picture of the rainforest that I created entirely out of paper from the teacher staff room). Then the next day we pulled off the First Annual Chapel Hill 2nd Ward Harvest Hoedown. Dad drew these great pictures which we projected on butcher paper and traced and the room looked great. We also had this souvenir photo booth designed by Dad which Steve and I are pictured in. I think the following Monday Eloise and I got on a plane to attend Ethan and Diane's wedding. It was great to see so many family and friends and witness the couple's official start in life. We flew home and then Bop Bop (who makes all your dreams come true) flew us all up for a really fun Thanksgiving weekend in NYC. We spent time with Kelly's family and also had a great day in the city at the Rockettes Christmas show. We are pictured outside Radio City Music Hall. Somewhere in all of this we took the kids iceskating and they "Bambi"ed thier way all over the ice.

Birthday Madness- October 2006

For those of you who don't know, Delia and Milo share a birthday which means that every year we do two birthday parties on the same day. I like to get it over with in one fell swoop. This year Delia had a Hello Kitty pajama party and Milo had a Cars racing party. I have to say that I am a big fan of the simple home b-day party. I get nostalgic for the days of ESP (my mom's party game creation) and the homemade cake. I think there may even be a picture in this collage of us playing ESP. Delia turned 6 and Milo 4.

Smell my feet - October 2006

In a galaxy far, far away, young master Milo and Princess Delia take on the church parking lot to thwart the Emperor's ban on sugary treats. Here are the kids at Halloween and a family picture at the souvenir photo booth at our Trunk or Treat.

Chairperson Vaisey--September 2006

During September Steve and I were called to be the Chairmen of the Activities Committee in the ward and I signed on as the Book Fair Chairperson for Glenwood Elementary's PTA. This may not sound like too much but I had never organized an event before in my life and in one week I found that I had many to put together. It was challenging and I learned many new skills that made me feel like I could do anything. The first event was our ward's Trunk or Treat in October, then came the Harvest Hoedown in November along with the Book Fair in November, then the Christmas Party in December. So in September I did a lot of what I had never done before...PLAN.

The times they are a changin'-August 2006

Right when we flew into town ( and I mean RIGHT when we flew into town) we moved into our new apartment at student housing. We felt at home right away. In the next few weeks Milo and I started doing a joy school group and Delia started Kindergarten. Lots of firsts. In the first collage you see Delia and Milo sort of shell shocked with Baba Juje and Bop Bop as we moved into the new place and Eloise in the middle of the Kitchen in packing paper. You can also see Milo waiting for a ride to one of the Joy school Mom's houses, pictures of the new apartment and pictures of the first few days of school for Delia. I remember feeling like life would never be the same again as we made our way through August. It felt like the end of an era.

Coming soon...

Stay tuned for updates from August 2006-May 2007. If you stay with me now I will reveal BIG NEWS (that most of you already know anyway) when I finally get current. Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. I really enjoyed our stroll.

Going to Carolina in my mind:July/August 2006

We spent the last two weeks in Provo very busy. Steve had a conference in Quebec and had to administer and grade final exams. Marc, Julie and I helped to paint and appoint Mom and Dad's new house. We worked really hard and the place looked great. Then I moved into their new house for a few days until Steve got home at which point he got in the car and started his drive back to North Carolina. I left on a plane the next day to arrive in North Carolina, meet up with BBJJ and Bop Bop and move into our new apartment in Student Housing the same day. But that is another story. Here is a picture of Mom and Dad's new house.

The Sundance Kids: July 2006

A group of us headed up to Sundance on Sunday after talking all night the previous night. The air was cooler up there. The tranquility of sitting by a peaceful brook was broken only by the rescue of an errant binky. Steve and the kids went up on the lift to see the view while Aaron, Marc, Julie, Zilia, Eloise and I headed up to the stage where Marc once performed in Westside Story. They did Irish dance on the Sundance Stage. I did breastfeeding in the Sundance audience. Even Eloise did a bit of dancing on the stage. Aaron let the kids take pictures with his camera and they really loved it. Zilia rubbed my shoulders and neck by a stream. We thought it was a fine way to end the weekend. As it turned out Marc and Julie ended up staying many more days.

'Til daddy takes the T-Bird away: July 2006

We spent the second day of our reunion at our favorite pool. Other than the fact that we made my Mom go down the water slide and almost drown, I think fun was had by all. Afterward we had a Thai feast and then Karaoke late into the night.

The Whole Fam Damily:July 2006

We kicked off the first day of our Estrada Family weekend with a photo shoot in front of the Museum of Art at BYU. Marc and Aaron took the photos. I loved being surrounded by my family. I loved watching the kids interact with cousins, uncles and aunts that they had seldom seen before. Milo had serious Kai and Keoni fever. They are pictured here teaching him judo or something. The rest are just us all hanging about talking having a good time. I love the "Eight is Enough" shot.

Zilia Surprise: July 2006

Probably my favorite moment of the summer was conspiring with Zilia to surprise the rest of the family with her arrival at the reunion. It was a distinctly joyous and emotional family reunion because of her presence. I remember her peeking her head around the corner of the door jam of the apartment and watching the surprise on Marc and Julie's face when they saw her. Even more impressive was seeing my parents' response when Zilia popped around the corner in Seth and Miriam's back yard. Her arrival was so significant. It meant that for the first time ever, all of my father's children would be gathered together in one place.

Yankee Doodle: July 2006

We went to, I think, three parades while in Provo. I enjoyed watching Delia and Milo march in the kids parade for the Fourth of July. We also enjoyed the festivities in downtown Provo on the fourth. Here we are dressed up to celebrate and on our way to the parade.

How Delia see it: July/August 2006

When I downloaded all the photos from the summer I came upon a collection of Delia's work. I thought you might enjoy a view of life at our Provo apartment from her perspective. The renegade school bus is my favorite.

A few Highlights: July 2006

There was something so good about being in Provo for the summer. A different, hard, arid simplicity in day to day life punctuated by remarkable moments. Here are a few.

• Eloise eats first solid food



• Jeremy has a birthday



• Seeing my parents all the time



• Seeing my old running partners with whom I ran the marathon and triathlon



• Delia gets her first library card

Oh what do you do in the summertime: July 2006

Here is where I tell you what our day to day life looked like during our stay in Provo. Steve taught 3 seperate summer courses at BYU which proved to be extremely time consuming. Most days he was gone at least 12 hours. Luckily the campus was very close to our house and we often walked up to visit him in his office or for lunch. Some days we just went up there to be in the air conditioning. We spent many hours with my parents at thier tempory apartment behind Seth and Miriams house, we went to the library but mostly we would swim in a pool to keep ourselves cool. The kids took swim lessons every morning at the Veterans Memorial Pool and then we would swim through the afternoon. It is now a year later and the children still wonder if they get to take swim lessons there again. They loved the experience. We also spent many evenings as a family there. One memorable family night Delia swam the length of the pool by herself in order to get her wristband to go on the big waterslide. We think sheer determination is what got her across. There was something so moving about her swim across that pool. It was a physical representation of the grit of Delia's character. If you look closely at the picture of Delia in the life jacket you can see the hard won wristband.

What ho Pioneer? July 2006

The only thing different between us and the early pioneers is that Steve drove a car and the kids and I flew to Utah. Other than that we are exactly like them. Unless you count electricity and all the other modern day conveniences. I do have to say, though, that setting up house for 2 months in Provo did feel a bit like trail blazing to me. Here are some pictures of our temporary digs in single women's housing. Steve and I slept on an air mattress on the top of two twin beds pushed together. It was a hot summer and there was no air conditioning. See what I mean...pioneers. We were all quite cheerful though and spent a lot of time outdoors with family and friends...pioneers.

Canal Days: June 2006

Although unseasonably cold, Canal Days in the village was still an enjoyable occasion. By the end Delia and Milo had every bauble you could imagine from different booths and we were all stuffed with...well...food. I think they should make kettle corn its own food group. Neither could I resist the funnel cake. Well who could with Kelly and the wind machine making it look so alluring? Here you see Bop Bop in the streets of Fairport, Delia trying her hand at the rock wall, and the kids and I eating cotton candy.

Summer Portraits : June 2006

Oh yeah, we also got our pitchas taken while we were in New York. The ones outside are at the Eastman house in Rochester and the others are in a studio somewheres. My, what a lovely family you have Mrs. Vaisey.

June is busting out all over: June 2006

We drove to Fairport, New York to spend the month swimming and carousing with the Vaisey Clan. Steve set up an office in the aromatic basement at 14 Hulbert drive. He was like a monk in a dank cell totally content to do his work while the kids and I went to movies, swam, ate good food (that I didn't prepare) and spent time with Bop Bop, Baba Juje, Dylan, Jeff, Kelly and baby Lena. He joined us in the evenings a better man. One of the biggest highlights was seeing Eloise with little Baby Lena. COUSINS!! As always Delia and Milo loved being with this crew. Enjoy the photos of baby cousins, swimming kids, and BBJJ loving up Delia.

quick and dirty update: May 2006

We spent May of 2006 packing up our beloved apartment at Autumn Woods and getting ready for our odyssey to BYU for the summer. Steve worked long hours during May to get his dissertation proposal ready before we left while I cared for the kids and tried to get as much ready as possible. Once again, Baba Juje swept in at the last minute and helped get the place ready to be sublet and get us out of town. Here are some pictures of one of our last walks to the pool at Autumn Woods, one taken Easter Morning and finally, one of Delia at her dance recital the day before we left for Utah (via New York).

Zonked

By the end of the day we all felt like this. We probably didn't look as cute though. After a delicious supper of sweet potato soup and spinach salad we rest our weary heads and await the Easter Bunny. Happy Easter. We love you all. PS. Don't be jealous that we had such a great day. Your day will come. I promise.

Let's go fly a kite.

We rounded out our day today at nearby Mcdougal Middle School's field. As I prepared the Easter goodies Steve took the children for a walk and noticed that the wind had changed. You all know that this means Mary Poppins had to leave but it also meant that we all went and flew a kite. The kids had a terrific time feeling the force of the wind through the string and trying to keep the kite in the air. Delia was especially invigorated by the whole experience. The only reason we retreated to our digs was that her epidermis was quickly roasting. She's a fair child...and I don't mean Morgan. Behold the many moments at Mcdougal.

Where's Elo? Is she sleeping outside? Where's Elo? Has she gone for a ride?

I hope you all sang that to the extremely persistent melody of "Where's Jeff?" by the Wiggles. Eloise is the baby in tow. She actually does sleep outside and she actually has gone for many rides. So while we are doing most of our activities you can see her in the background chillin'. Here she is watching me make dinner in her little bumbo seat.

The Rocking Chair Store

Delia and Milo have discovered the neighborhood gang. They play basket ball in the breezeway and climb the tree by our porch with all the other kids in the complex. After an all out playing session this afternoon we treated them and the missionaries to an icecream at Maple View Farm...aka...The Rocking Chair Store.

MUSTARD!...No lemon, that's differenter.

Our day began with an exceptionally hot picnic on the porch, on an exceptionally small picnic table. I love it when a normal day becomes a special day because you just happen to have a can of baked beans in the cupboard. This particular little fete had the giddy tension of Alice's strange tea with the Mad Hatter.

Weekend Update

In the news, we are all still alive. To prove it here are a few pics of our recent activities. You may notice that for the most part we are all in the same clothes in every picture. That is because these were all taken on the same day...or maybe I never do laundry...both are plausible explanations. Actually these were mostly taken today because we had an unusually great day. Here are some highlights.