Kaitlyn's Choir Performance and Andrew's Preschool Songs

For FHE we went to Kaitlyn's choir performance. It is made up of 4th and 5th graders. There were three other elementary schools that performed as well. They all sang some songs together and then each school performed a song by themselves. It was beautiful, when ever my kids perform it brings me to tears. The church they performed at is called "The Church of the Brethren" and it has been around since La Verne first became a city. It's super old. I wish I had better pictures or even videoed it, but alas, this is all I have.Andrew had a little holiday performance in preschool as well. He was so cute! I can't believe how much he has grown. I also can't believe they got him to wear those antlers on his head!

Fire Station Field Trip

So on top of the school assembly, Ella had a field trip to the fire station. It's located down the street so it's a nice short walk. I went to help out. I was really impressed with how well the fire men and the paramedics taught the kids practical and helpful information. The highlight for the kids would have been taking turns adjusting the sprayer on the fire hose. It was a nice, warm day and some of the kids got a little wet. And yes, it's the middle of December!

School Assembly

Today there was a school assembly. Kaitlyn was chosen based on a math aptitude test to be on the Math Olympiad team for Oak Mesa Elementary. There were only 5 fourth and 5 fifth graders chosen. They go on to compete at the district level in February. Go Kaitlyn!
Both Kaitlyn and Ella participated in the Reflection's program, Ella received an honorable mention in the Reflection's visual arts category for "best use of theme." She drew a picture of a jungle and monkeys. It was entitled "Together We Can Save The Rain Forest." Great job Ella-bean! They are both wearing red shirts and are in the front row, so they aren't too hard to find in the group shot. Ella also serves on student council and photo below is a poster she made to encourage kids to bring in their bottles and cans to recycle to raise money for student council.Ella was tested and earned her yellow belt on December 9th. She was super excited and has a blast in her karate class.

Still in the 70's in December!

So Andrew was Super excited to get invited to a boy's pirate birthday party for a boy in his primary church class. The weather was beautiful! It was at a park in La Verne. He has some good buddies as friends that go to his preschool and church. It's nice he has some boys to run around with when his sisters are in school all day. I can't believe he will be in kindergarten next fall! I thought this picture was funny of him and two friends all drinking their root beer!

Afternoons in December

Ok, so it's December and it's 76 degrees outside! I am loving the warm winter weather! The trees still have colored leaves on them! The kids love to play at the park right by their school, so I brought the camera along today to take some pictures. I even had to turn on the air conditioner when we got back in the car to drive home! The blond girl is Isabell she is in third grade (in between Kaitlyn and Ella), and her little brother is also named Andrew and goes to Andrew's preschool. All five of these kids could play all day, they are all really good friends. Isabell and Andrew's mom is an awesome lady, we have a TON in common. She and I sit and chat the whole time the kids play.

Nativity Display

On Saturday, December 4th, we went to a Stake Center in Upland that had over 1,000 nativity scenes on display. They had various musical performances as well. It was fun to see all the different styles and materials used to make the different nativity sets. One of the nativity sets took up a large room and was pretty much the whole city of Bethlehem. Someone said it took them 11 hours to set it up!

Start of Holiday Season

So Saturday, after Thanksgiving we went to little downtown La Verne where the kids got to sit on Santa's lap. Andrew kept reminding me that he was just going to stand by Santa instead of sit on his lap, so the girls did the same thing. They had a little program of singing Christmas carols and then lit a large decorated Christmas tree. It was a nice way the start of the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Break

So Tiffany and Jason and their boys came down for a visit and had Thanksgiving Dinner with us. We had an amazing meal-thanks to Jason! I regret not getting my camera out earlier so there would have been more pictures with the cousins and family. On Friday, James really wanted to go on a little hike so we took the kids up in the foothills near our house and these are where the pictures were taken.

Future Car for James

James would like to get a car like this after dental school. He was checking this one out at the car show.

Halloween 2010

Kaitlyn was an angel, Ella was a black cat and Andrew was a football player (again).
Earlier in the day there was an old time car show at Heritage Park right by the girls school. We had fun seeing all the colors and styles of cars. Later, we went to old downtown La Verne, where the little stores were handing out candy. The kids had fun being interviewed for t.v. by the University of La Verne film students. Our ward had a dinner and trunk or treat that evening. It was a full, fun Saturday filled with activities. I was happy to find that the kids didn't even think they were missing out on anything the next day, Sunday, which was really Halloween. Plus, we have enough candy for a very long time. We barely got rid of the last of their Valentine candy!

Ella being silly in the car waiting to pick up Kaitlyn after school. It was western day, she doesn't always wear a bandanna in her hair.

Andrew had a Halloween party with his Primary teacher and class. He has all boys in his class and only one girl! He sure enjoys having his own friends that are boys.

October 2010

It has been such beautiful weather here! I love it! I took the kids to a pumpkin patch at Cal Poly Pomona and had them take pictures with the pumpkins. We ended up getting ours from the grocery store. :) The kids just wanted to run and run through all the pumpkins in this large field.

Move to La Verne August 2010

We moved to La Verne, California August 2010. It was a challenge moving yet again and trying to get settled into a new place, with James starting orientation days later. My grandma and parents came down for his White Coat Ceremony. That was really nice to have their support and show them Western University.



I must have spent the better part of the first month cleaning our little place. It was tough work. I took the kids and met up with a few other moms and their kids for a day of sand and sun. The beach is about 45 minutes away! We also went to Redlands for Jaden's birthday. The kids got to swim there too! Beautiful weather!



I got the kids all registered in school (they missed the last two months of school when we moved). The girls were able to start school in the middle of August in 4th and 2nd grades. Kaitlyn has been to different schools for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades! Andrew started in a preschool 3 days a week in the afternoons. He has two boys from his primary class in preschool too! The kids have all made friends quickly and it has made the adjustment to our third move in less than a year much easier! Hopefully we can stay here for the next four years and the kids can have some stability.

Swim Fun! Summer 2010

These boys had such a blast playing together. Andrew loved being among other boys! (Andrew Bell, Owen and Liam Kellogg)



James had a 5 week course down at Western University over the summer. He would come back on the weekends to Fresno. The kids were in the pool 6 days a week! We also went to see free kid movies at the theater and there were lots of summer programs at the library. Erin came up to visit once and Kelly and her kids would come over lots to play with the cousins. I was fun to be around family.

Disneyland June 2010

When we moved to Fresno, we took a family trip to Disneyland. Vanessa met us out there and we had a blast. So nice to have the kids old enough, no diapers, bottles and big strollers this time around! Andrew was just tall enough to go on California Adventure, which we went on a few times, since all the kids loved it so much. James, Nessa, Kaitlyn and Ella went on the Tower of Terror for one of their first rides, I was impressed. That ride is not for me. Ella did say she wouldn't do it again. I think it may be our last big vacation until after James is done with dental school. But that's okay.

San Francisco for Jeremy's Graduation from UOP.

This was a fun day trip we took up to San Francisco. It was nice to see James' parents, Josh and Emily, Sarah and Jeremy. And of course my kids were thrilled to see their cousin, Jane.

A 9 Month Vacation in Vegas

When we lived in Vegas, James was finishing up applying to dental school and taking a few classes at UNLV. We had fun exploring all there was to do in Vegas, family orientated of course :)

I got very proficient in coupon shopping and loved finding super cheap deals. Kaitlyn was in ballet and had activity days. Ella did karate and Andrew went to preschool and took a sports class. We loved the warm winter. We lived there from Sept 2009 and moved the end of May 2010 (missing the hottest part of the year).

Kaitlyn was in a charity fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House with her dance studio, so that's one of the pictures. The other is one of us in front of the famous "welcome to Las Vegas" sign. We figured we had to get that before we moved.