April & May 2016

When we got home from France we had so much yard work to do that April soon became May. Our love hate relationship with Spring grew on the hate side as we tackled some HUGE projects (huge for us). But hopefully now that they are done it will make our yard care more low maintenance. We dug out all of the grass migrating in the flower beds and put down a grass barrier and wood chips. South Jordan had a rebate deal for drought tolerant plants and we were able to take advantage of that and we planted a few lilac bushes, a tree, and some other plants. We put in our vegetable garden and Jefferson was a helper with it all and was rewarded with lots of walks in his favorite car and trips to the park where he discovered a new love of running down the hill. It was hard exhausting work but our yard is looking great!

In April we were also able to go to the annual Jefferson Easter egg hunt and I threw a shower for our friend Caro & James and baby to be,

In May we celebrated Brad's birthday with the usual Tai cuisine. He is such a good loving daddy and husband. Happy 36th!

May brought some rainy days this year and on one of those days Angie and Dixie came over for a pajama breakfast party. We even made a fort and Jefferson and Dixie helped make waffles.

Angie and Dixie went on a nature walk and gave us these beauty's, We will plant them in the fall and hopefully they will come up next year.

We took Jefferson to his first ever Living Traditions and he loved the food- the basque churros especially. This year we discovered Arancini di Riso- delicious!

We took a walk up to the lake and discovered the daisy's had bloomed.

 The day after Jefferson's 18 month exam and shots he started breaking out in a rash then hives. We weren't sure if it was just a reaction to the shots or an allergic reaction and took him in to find out. The instacare doc said it was a reaction to the shots and gave him a steroid. The next 2 days the rash continued to spread so we took him in to see his pediatrician and he diagnosed it as chicken pox. So poor little Jefferson had to be quarantined the last part of May and was not the happiest camper. 

Jefferson is now 18 months and an active little toddler. He is eating on his own and loving to read books. His favorite book is Moo Baa La La La and he wants it read to him dozens of times each day. His expressive skills have picked up and he is saying lots of words. His preschool teacher said he understands when she talks in English and in Spanish. His favorite food is pizza (though he doesn't get it too often) and string cheese. We can't say cheese without him then expecting a cheese. His favorite place to go is the park and he loves long walks. He loves walking in mamas slippers and having dance parties.

France Day 11

We were so lucky to be in Paris on Easter Sunday. We started the day with Mass at Notre Dame. As we walked up to the building the bells started ringing. This was the first time we heard church bells in Paris because bells don't ring the week before Easter. When we walked in all of the candelabras were lit and the choir was singing. It was such a warm feeling of fellow Christians coming together and every stereotype about the cold rude french people was erased when we shook hands (a special part of mass) and had a feeling of brotherhood. It was interesting to find out Notre Dame was the 1st cathedral in France to have a gothic look and inspired all the other gothic cathedrals. We found the menacing gargoyles and a charming cafe where we had crepes and hot chocolate and listened to the bells of Notre Dame.

We then took a walk the The Marcheaux Fleurs et Oiseaux to see the quaint Sunday only market with burds and flowers for sale. This was probably the most charming outdoor market we have been to yet.

The next highlight was Saint Chappelle. The beautiful blue stained glass is stunning as the sun shines through it. It is probably the most beautiful church in France. The sun shining through the glass gives "the illusion of heaven." 

And connected to Saint Chappelle (because Saint Chappelle was the royal chapel) is the Palais Du Justice-the first French palace where all the royalty stayed until Place du Louvre was completed. During the revolution it became the republic headquarters. What remains is the oldest midevil hall in Europe where Marie Antoinette was held until her execution. 

Brad wanted to check out the Institute of the Arab World and we got an incredible city view from the roof.

We had another picnic lunch (the French baguettes are the best) by the Pantheon and then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the Luxembourg Gardens (Catherine de Medici's favorite castle). The central gardens were surrounded by statues of the queens of France. It was so charming to see remote control sail boats in the fountains and while we were there it started raining (the first rain our entire time in France!) and people crammed under the huge gazebo. 

We took a little break to freshen up in our hotel and then set out for evening mass at La Madeleine. I will never forget the sound of that organ and when the doors were thrown open at the end of mass and the priest and entourage walked out.with the setting sun shining behind them. 

As this was our last night in Paris we decided to stroll and see where we ended up. We found the Paris Opera House and some exquisite chocolate shops displaying Easter eggs. And we we ended up walking back up to Montmarte to have a final look at Paris from Sacre Coeur. Our last meal in Paris was delicious- sitting like the Parisians outside with the tables turned out looking at the city pass by. Au revoir Paris.