High Five!

On Saturday we went to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Though there were many exhibits to see, Audrey focused on "Waltee" the mascot (a guy walking around in a lion suit.) After screaming in fear upon meeting Waltee on her own, Audrey warmed up to him when Mommy held her. She already had a lion fascination since we went to the Zoo last month so Waltee was especially exciting. She gave Waltee some high fives then became obsessed with high fives. We took a video of our dinner at night. I hope you enjoy it as much as she did.

From Crackle: High Five!

More Snow!

We had a big storm come through the eastern shore (of which we are now residents). It started while Eric was grilling Sunday night. He looked and was cold.

By Monday morning we had eight inches of snow. We built a snowman to which Audrey says "Hi!" at least three times a day.

Here are some of the pictures I took of our yard...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy (Late) Valentine's Day!
Here are a few pictures of Audrey and Sofia.
They love giving each other kisses.

What a difference a year makes!

Birthday at the Zoo

To celebrate my birthday on February 4th, we went the National Zoo. Cedulie was watching Sofia that day, so they joined us. I woke up to a white birthday; sadly the snow melted by noon, but it did enable us to go on our outting. It was a cold day, but we bundled everyone up, did lots of walking, and had a great time. I did not think it would compare to the SD Zoo, but I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was just because it was my birthday but I have never had so many great interactions with the animals as I did that day. And the best part, was the it was free! Thanks Smithsonian and our tax dollars!


There was a great exhibit of the Amazon. It went from a dry 30 degree outside to a humid 80 degrees inside. Audrey loved the monkeys that freely roamed around. She said, "bye bye monkey" when we were leaving.

Another highlight, was seeing a Gorilla mom and her newborn, born January 1oth. We were fascinated watching her nurse and carry her little one around.

The baby is under in her right arm.

Audrey's favorite exhibit was the lions or "linons" as she says. They were very vocal for us, so we talked back too. Here is a video of our roaring:

From Crackle: Roaring with the lions

It was a great day. I am excited to go back in the Spring when it is greener and warmer.

Snow!

We enjoyed our first snow, only 1 and 1/2 inches but enough to have some fun. Sofia and Audrey loved playing in the snow. We were iced in the day after it snowed because it was warm enough for the snow to start melting and then freeze again the next night. So far we are enjoying weather in the Mid-Atlantic.

From Crackle: Audrey & Sofia in the snow

Our Christmas lasted awhile and it has taken a bit to recover from it hence our long absence from the blogosphere. We wanted to give those interested an overview of our four Christmases and trip to California.
We set up a mini tree in the basement with a few of our ornaments so to feel more at home.

Audrey with her nativity scene.

Our first Christmas was in Maryland with Eric’s mom, step-dad, sister, brother-in-law and niece.

Audrey admiring the presents.

Audrey & Sofia playing with their new toys.

Then will flew to LA.

Our second Christmas was with Eric's dad and step-mom.

Audrey got another baby to love.

Christmas #3 was with my dad and step-mom.
Audrey got to meet her new "cousin," Brembo, my sister's Great Dane puppy.
Eric opening presents with my dad's two African Greys.
Audrey and my dad in their H.D. apron's

Our final celebration was at my mom's house.

Audrey loved Auntie Lauren's new pink cashmere sweater.
'Chung studying some trick to teach Brembo.

We drove to San Fran for my sister 30th birthday
We had a delicious Guiness Chocolate Cake

We got to see lots of friends during our time in SoCal. We meet six new babies that had been born since we moved, two of which were born during our visit. Overall, we had a wonderful trip. We'll be staying in the house for the next few days to avoid the 4 million people here for the inauguration so we should be able to blog again soon.

Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

Historically when we've sat down to recap the year, we've been amazed at how fast the year has gone. This year however, is markedly different. As hopefully everyone knows by now, we decided that it was time to launch on a great adventure, we moved to Maryland. As with any grand adventure, each new adventure has packed the last 12 months with what feels like a lifetime of memories. Our year has been full of of difficult decisions, family reunions, boxes, sad goodbyes, job hunting, boxes, real seasons, adjustment, and oh yeah, boxes. So while many things did happen since last we wrote, please forgive us if we can't get very far away from the move and its impact on our lives.

We started taking seriously about moving in July, right around my birthday. I say seriously because it seems like we have always had discussions about wanting wide open space, a slower pace of life, and maybe most of all, we wanted Audrey to grow up near at least some of her cousins even though she only has one (for now.) The decision to actually “pull the trigger” was not an easy one. We have grown to love Biola University (the only place Eric worked since he graduated,) The City of Hope Pediatric Unit (where Ashley loved her job as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse) and many, many wonderful friends. Undoubtedly, most difficult was the decision to leave our family in Southern California.

We've been asked several times whether we think moving to Maryland was a good decision. After thinking through an answer to that question, we have come to the conclusion that our adventure cannot be measured in terms like good and bad. Ultimately, we believe that God has confirmed our decision to follow Him on this amazing journey. Our transition to Maryland has been really good thus far. There have been very difficult moments where we felt completely lost without our familiar surroundings but also amazing moments like walking through the nature preserve near my parents house with the fall leaves in full color. Fortunately, living with Cedulie and Luis (Eric's Mom and Step-Dad) has been a enjoyable for all parties and Audrey LOVES spending more time with her cousin 'Fia (Sofia.)
In terms of work, Eric is in the midst of a job search specifically looking in higher education and non-profits with a higher education focus. Lucky for us, there are many schools and universities in the area and Washington D.C. is a treasure trove of non-profits. Ashley has decided to stay home to raise Audrey (and hopefully more kids in the years to come,) a decision that everyone agrees is a the most important one we can make right now. She may look for some part-time work once we figure out where we are going to live.

The highlight of our year was ironically our goodbye party at the farm. It felt a little like being at our own funeral but it was amazing to have so many friends together at once. We will always remember being blessed by so many people who mean so much to us, in a place that will always be our first home. The most difficult part of our transition is being so far from all of our friends and family. It is easy to take for granted the ability to call up a friend and go out for coffee (or something.) Although we feel a little bit like life is paused right now, we look forward to seeing what God has in store for us as get more established here. We miss you all very much and hope to see you soon.

Love,

Eric, Ashley and Audrey Lapointe