Sunday June 9, 2013

Liliahna,

Today you gave your third talk in primary. It was our very last Sunday in the Valparaiso Ward in California and we were all so sad to be leaving. To hear you give this talk was a really fun way to say goodbye.  You were confident and beautiful as you stood in front of the microphone reading your talk. This talk was different than the others because you helped to write it! They asked us you to share a talk about getting baptized and this is what you helped us come up with:

"My name is Lili Lundeen and I'm 6 years old. When you are eight you can be baptized. When you get baptized you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Even Jesus was baptized. He was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Last year my dad got to go to Israel and put his feet in the Jordan River. It made my dad happy to know he was baptized just like Jesus was.

When we get baptized, we make a special promise with Heavenly Father. We promise to keep the commandments and follow Jesus, and Heavenly Father promises us to forgive us for our sins. I want to be baptized when I turn 8. I want to follow Jesus's example because I  know he loves me.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

What a sweet testimony, thank you for sharing it with us Lili!

Wednesday May 29, 2013

Liliahna

Your speech teacher Ilo sent this little card home that she had hanging in her room all year. You have loved working with Ms. Ilo this year and have grown and improved so much with your speech. I'm really proud of how hard you've worked this year. I love the details on this card and the way they help me remember what's important to you as a kindergartener. Here it is...

I am Liliahna

It's important that you know that I like roses and orange stars and pink stars. I like to watch Ice Age. I saw it at the movie theater. It's a funny movie. It's about these elephants that live on snow. I want to learn about being nice to others.

Tuesday, February 19 2013

Liliahna, Serelle and Dad

As part of this year's Valentine's Day celebrations you and your dad made me a poster listing all the different reasons you love me. I can tell that Dad spent a lot of time and effort helping you make this list and it is such a treasure! You girls are so lucky to have such an amazing example of how a man should love and treat a woman. I love your dad so much and am so grateful for all that he does to share his love with  me.


I love mom because...

Her do lots of cool stuff
Her go camping
I love to celebrate Christmas with mom
Her tries new things
Mom does nice work
Mom does my homework
Her clean up my room when I quit helping her. That's the best.
Comb my hair
Her love me so much a lot.
Her reads to me at night
I help her clean up
mom loves me
Her love me all the time
Her plays with me
Sooo pretty
Mom is nice
I love her so much long
Smart
Mom is sweet to me
Her love me so so much
Her do nice curly hair on me
Her likes to moochie on dad (my favorite response!)
I love her so much
Make me do my homework!
Mom and dad got married
Her always ride fast!
Her nice
Her the best girl
Mom likes to come to the co-lab
Going on a mommy-daughter date
Gives me cleanup jobs =)
She does her blog posting a lot.
Makes me lunchMom is good at picking me up from school

What a sweet list of all the reasons you love me, thank you for this wonderful gift!
Love,
Mom

Thursday February 7, 2013

Liliahna,

Last Monday marked your 100th day of kindergarten! I can't believe you're already more than half way through the school year - it seems only yesterday we were nervously dropping you off for Young 5's and now you're a big kindergartener!

As part of your 100 day celebration you wrote a few things that I wanted to share:

Q: How would you spend 100 dollars?
A: I WOulb buy MRKRLRAD DLO (I would buy an American Girl Doll)

Q: I could eat 100...
A: Pes OV KAK (100 pieces of cake)

Q: But I could never eat 100...
A: Pes ov KANDe (pieces of candy)

It's so fun to get a sense of what's going on inside that sweet mind of yours - thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Thursday February 7, 2013

Liliahna,

You are learning so much this year in kindergarten! You are especially learning a lot about reading and writing. After Christmas we decided to write "thank you" notes to all of your cousins and grandparents for the wonderful gifts you received. This year you wrote all of your own notes! Here is what you wrote to dad and I: (typed phonetically just as you wrote it!)

DeR MOM DAD

D YO HV A FN KSMS (did you have a fun Christmas)
FAK YOU for tHe (thank you for the)
OPeRAtINg (operating)
GeAM I LUVe eIt (game I love it)

LILI

I am so proud of how hard you worked on all those "thank you" cards, and I heard from both grandmas that they just loved receiving cards that you had written all by yourself!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Liliahna,

I just came across a list of descriptive words describing you that was put together by some of the moms from Young 5's. It was so fun to read all the lovely ways these other moms described you and I wanted to share some of them with you:

cooperative
friendly
girly
sweet
gentle
curious
sweet
friendly
charming
imaginative
graceful
sweet-natured
kind and artistic
sensitive to others
affectionate
sociable
joyous and funny
silly
lovely
careful
sensitive/big heart
great memory
delightful
humorous
happy
outgoing

What wonderful ways to describe our precious Liliahna!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Liliahna

You are learning and growing so much this year in Kindergarten! Your ability to read and write improves daily and it is such a joy to watch you learn. Right now we are working on writing "thank you" notes for all of your Christmas gifts. It's turned out to be a really fun experience to watch you do the work and see how your ability to "sound things out" is improving. Here is the "thank you" note that you wrote to Dad and I:

DeR MOM DAD
D YO HV A FN KSMS
FAK YOU for tHe
OPeRATING
GAM I LUV ET
love LILI

(typed as you wrote it)

I'm so proud of you!

December 31, 2012

Serelle,

Last night before bed, you and I did our "talky time" where we just lay down on the bed and talk to each other. I usually do it before nap time with you and Lili whenever I am home for naps. It's called talky time but it usually consists of me asking you girls a bunch of questions and trying to get more than one word answers. It's some of my favorite time during the day! Today, you were feeling especially chatty and said, "Dad, Jesus made the whole world and all of the vegetables, and you made my bunk bed." Needless to say I was flattered by being referenced in the same sentence as Master of the Universe! Even though my bunkbeds pale in comparison to most vegetables, I'm glad you think I'm such a good creator. Sure love you my dear.

Dad

November 18, 2012

Liliahna,

At church today, your teacher had you fill out a short Thanksgiving worksheet. Your answers were so sweet, we wanted to make sure we captured them!

The Top 10 Things I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving:

1. Mom and Dad
2. Grandparents
3. Food
4. My house
5. Friends
6. Teachers
7. Animals
8. Flowers
9. Apples
10. Turkey


Favorites:
My Favorite Movie is: "My Little Pony"
My Favorite Book is: "The Little Ballerina"
My Most Memorable Even was: Disneyland
My Biggest Accomplishment: I can do the monkey bars at school

I took you to school today and asked you to show me how you do the monkey bars. You just beamed when you stepped onto the landing on the other side. I could tell you were especially concentrating because you were sticking your tongue out of the corner of your mouth as you swung from each bar to the next. So cute.

Thank you for your sweet spirit. Your little smile and BIG laugh just melts my heart.

Dad

October 23, 2012

Liliahna,

You are officially a little school girl! You started riding your bike to school each day, just last week you finally made it all the way across the monkey bars, and you and mom work on speech together EVERY single day (your mom is a saint and works with you literally every day. She amazes me with how carefully and patiently she works with you...you are one lucky little girl to have her as your mother). You love to wear all things Stanford and you are really proud to kiss me and mom goodbye when you walk into class. I think I'm the luckiest dad in the world.

I'm proud of you Lili!

Dad

October 23, 2012

Serelle,

You are a little chatter box! It is so fun to listen to you just jabber and jabber. Plus, you have some really fun sayings that mom and I just can't seem to bring ourselves around to correcting. For example, any time it's a foggy day outside, you say, "Look, it's a froggy day!" You are just such a joy and my heart melts every time you look at me. Thank you for loving me so wonderfully.

Dad

p.s.
You tried to hide the truth from me today for the first time. You had ripped out a page out of one of Lili's library books and when we asked you about it, you told us that somebody else had done it. Lili saw you do it, plus, mom and I could just tell that you had done it. But, you wouldn't back down! You insisted that someone else had done it. You told us that some boy had "maybe" come into the room and pulled it out, or even at one point--that "maybe it just fell out by itself". Then you told us Satchel did it, then that Aero did it. At one point, I had to cover my face with a book because I couldn't help but laugh at how insistant you were that you hadn't done it! This went on for almost ten minutes! Finally, after a little chat with mom, you finally admitted that you had "tried to turn the page really fast, and the page fell out." I love you so much...even your little fibs.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Serelle,

This evening we were talking about our plans to Skype with the Mattinglys as part of our Family Night and you commented that, "we need to get them out here". I agreed that we did and that it would be so much fun to have them come visit. Then you looked at me and said, "we need to get Jesus out here too".  We then talked for a little while about what we would do if Jesus came to visit us. What a fun comment, and a fun idea!

Friday August 3, 2012

Liliahna,

We spent yesterday and today down in Richfield with your Great Grandma Sharon and your Great Grandpa "Howdy". We had a wonderful visit down there and you are especially sweet to your "Greats"! Today before we left it was time for lunch and you requested to eat in the "beautiful" room - Grandma's sunroom - with the "wedding" tablecloth. I love it! You have such an eye for beauty and are quick to recognize all things pink, floral, lace, etc.

Love Mom

June 29, 2012

Serelle,
It is just adorable to watch you learn! Right now, your vocabulary is growing like crazy, but the order and tense of your words could use a little help. For example, right now you often say things like, "Wuch you said?" instead of "What did you say?" You are such a joy and I am so lucky to be your father. I love you!

"Wuch you said?"...you say that at least 20 times per day.

-Dad

May 29, 2012

Serelle,
Right now, you love to add the letters "ee" to just about everything you say. You call chips "chipees" and say things are "hotee" when they are hot. You are learning so much and just are an absolute chatter-box! You constantly tell stories and love to play with your toy animals (the giraffe, the tiger, and the deer are your favorites). I love you.

-Dad

May 19, 2012

Liliahna,
We usually go on Saturday morning bikes rides as a family. You and Serelle ride in the bike trailer and mom and I get to chat for about two hours. We have a favorite 18 mile loop leaving Stanford, riding up Sandhill Road, continuing to Portola, connecting with Alpine, then cutting through campus to get back to EV. There is one section of road that is a little narrow, but has a new bike path that cuts through the trees just off the road. Today, we were going especially fast (probably around 15mph) as we passed over some of the rolling hills on the new path. It was a pretty fast up then down then up then down again combination and felt a little bit like a roller coaster to me. Then, just as I was thinking how fun the little hills were you yelled up to me from the trailer, "Dad, when you go over the hills really fast, it tickles my belly button!" Jen and I laughed and laughed at how fun your description was of feeling your stomach "drop". Now that I think about it, I like your description better! Sure love you.
-Dad

Tuesday April 24, 2012

Serelle,

Happy Birthday little 3-year old! You are such a fun and sweet little girl and you just LOVE telling people that you are three now. You seem so big and grown up and it's pretty crazy for me to think of you as my little baby! You love going to school, looking at books, and coloring. You have a very long attention span and when you get going on an activity, you really zone in.  You also pick up on things that are taught to you very quickly.

In fact, Easter was only a couple of weeks ago and ever since you learned about Jesus' death and resurrection it seems like a lot of your toys are "dying". I'm not sure how much you are connecting between the Easter lessons and your play, but it seems to be quite a lot!

I sure love you Serelle,
Happy Birthday!

Mom

March 31, 2012

Liliahna,

You have been so excited for "stake conference" this weekend! Last night you set up your little picnic table with all kinds of coloring books and treats that were just for "stake conference"! I am so proud of your excitement and enthusiasm to listen to our prophets voice. I hope I can always feel that kind of excitement myself. Thank you for being such a wonderful example.

I love you!

February 6, 2012

Both of you sweet girls are really into "dates" right now. You love to point out that it's a "Mommy-Daughter" date whenever it's just you and me, and you also love to tell me about all the fun things you do when it's a "Daddy-Daughter" date! Serelle always says, "I LOVE Mommy-Daughter dates!"or "I LOVE Daddy-Daughter dates!"

So glad you like to go on dates with us!

January 15, 2011

Serellle,
When we asked you what you learned at church today, you said, "Jesus wants me to come back." Simple and accurate. Nice job.
-Dad