Other Random Happenings

I realize I've increased the blogging lately, and maybe you like it, maybe you're annoyed by it...but whenever we move away from family (which has happened WAY TOO MANY TIMES) I always feel a greater need to blog our regular old daily lives to keep all those family members and friends in the know (you know...all 2 of you that read my blog).

SO...here are pictures from my cell phone of other random happenings over the last couple weeks.

Molly likes markers...especially ones she finds hidden in her older sisters' bedroom.  We have tried many hiding places, but she always finds this one dang green dry erase marker and colors herself with it.  This is not a new thing, she did it MANY times in St. George as well.

The girls were building towers from Jenga pieces

Addison was just being silly 

Molly was being...well...Molly

Have I mentioned that our kitchen here is purple?  Yeah...it is...I don't like it...but I'm not going to paint a rental, so we just live with it.

Addison likes to play with the settings on my cell phone camera and take funny pictures

 Brody LOVES when Marty plays his guitar and sings to him.  He was propped up like a big boy on the couch just smiling and cooing along. 

 Molly loves any game that involves her climbing on her sisters 

 Brody is just the cutest.

 My parents and Emily came down this past weekend for a cousin's wedding.  Addison got home from school, changed into a dress and promptly instructed my mom to rub her back...she fell asleep for a good long while. 

Us at said wedding

 My kids love snuggling on my bed! 

Addison got straight hair, and Molly got her hair curled.  They thought it was funny that they switched hairstyles for the day.

We played around with Addison's hair the next day and did some big wavy curls.  I told her it wasn't fair that she was so darn cute.

Molly wanted in on the picture taking, even though I hadn't done anything to her hair yet.

Addison has THE BEST bed head in the mornings, it always makes me laugh.

And lastly, our fun with face swapping...

There you have it...the last couple of weeks in a nut shell.

First Day of School - in California

The night before school started, they wanted to try on their uniforms and then thought it was funny that they looked like little Target workers, so wanted me to take a picture

The girls all started at their new school here in California last week...and so far, we're loving it.

We were able to get them into a school of performing arts and foreign language, and the kids were THRILLED with that option.  Addison also gets to go to what they call "transitional kindergarten", which is basically preschool for the kids who miss the deadline, but are turning 5 before the end of the year.

The performing arts school does things quite a bit different though, and it has been an adjustment figuring it all out.

Brielle, being in 4th grade, has 6 "blocks" (basically class periods) and she rotates from classroom to classroom with different teachers and different students in each one.  It's an outdoor campus too, so she walks to different buildings (all close together) rather than just down a hall. It's almost exactly like Jr. High.  Half of her day is the regular math, science, writing, reading type stuff, and the other half she has Spanish class, guitar class and an art class.  We were SHOCKED to find out that she actually gets to bring home an electric guitar to practice on at home.  She is LOVING the guitar.  She wanted to get into drama to be able to do plays rather than the art class, but since we came in a little late, there wasn't room in drama.  We aren't sure if the classes change at the semester or if that's it for the year, but we'll try to get her into drama when we have the chance.

Jamming on her guitar

Claire, being in 2nd grade, doesn't change around as much.  She stays with her "home room" teacher for half of the day, doing all the regular math, science, writing, reading stuff.  Then her second half of the day she also does music with her home room teacher, and then she switches for Spanish and possibly for art (I can't remember if she said she goes back to her home room teacher for art or not...she's been hard to get details out of...funny kid.) She already has "more friends than even in St. George." Not sure that is true, but she does make friends very easily.  

The two older girls were very excited and nervous on the first day. 

 Addison, being in TK (as they refer to transitional kindergarten) doesn't do any switching.  They do your regular old preschool/kindergarten type things of learning letters and coloring.  She gets to ride the bus home with the older girls after school, and she LOVES that.

She came home the first day with evidence of a yummy cupcake...she was in heaven. 

The girls are adjusting very well to things.  Much faster and easier than I am...I'm still slightly in denial that we have to stay here.  But with their help, I'll try to make the most of it.  They are all excited to be able to talk to Marty in Spanish without me knowing what they're saying, and all are very excited about all the music and instrument choices.  I'm glad they had been introduced to music through piano lessons with me so they are not behind at all.

We stick out like a sore thumb around here.  The girls are definitely in the minority at school, but haven't said anything about that. I'm glad they get the diversity and that they don't see skin color at all.  In fact, when they describe their friends they've met, it's usually by the hairstyle, color of eyes, how tall they are, what they like to do at recess etc., they've not ONCE mentioned skin color, which I think is great.  I'm kind of dying to know how many other white kids are in their classes, just because I'm curious, but I haven't - and won't - ask them, because I don't want it to be something they start noticing.  I went to pick them up the first day and was THE ONLY PERSON in the whole car pickup line that wasn't in a small four-door car.  The only person with a big old Yukon and five kids.  So yeah, we're white, we have a huge family and we're Mormon...can't get much stranger for this area.  Definitely going to be getting a lot of great experiences here!

Here's to a great school year!

Brody's Blessing/Last Weekend in St. George

The weekend before heading to California was a busy one.  We had planned a while back to have Brody's blessing on September 7th.  Then, out of nowhere things fell into place for the California move and we realized we could kill two birds with one stone and have his blessing, plus con all our family who came to support us into helping pack, load trailers, clean and move us.  GENIUS!  It really did work out great...except that I had already packed my camera by the time the weekend rolled around without realizing I probably would have wanted some pictures.  I did take a few with my cell phone, but that's it.

Luckily, Emily (my sister who will now have more free time on her hands than she'll know what to do with since we left St. George and she won't be constantly babysitting us...yes, "us", she took care of me too) offered to take some pictures for me.  Unfortunately, she took a few, then we got distracted and I totally forgot to take any more.  So, yeah...you get what you get.  We also got ZERO pictures of Brody in his blessing outfit.  WE ROCK! 

Saturday afternoon, the cousins rolled into town.  We got some takeout and had a picnic in our empty house.

My mom was thrilled about this picture...she loves that we always take pictures of her sleeping.  So this is actually a picture of Brody sleeping, my mom just happens to be in the picture.

On Sunday, Brody was given a beautiful blessing by Marty, the spirit was so strong and we all felt Ben there watching over this new little boy who also carries his name.  Brody wore the same blessing outfit as my nephews (Aspen's two boys) and maybe this is a huge stretch...but Ben was at the blessing of the last nephew and held him in the outfit.  It felt a little extra sentimental.

After the blessing, we went to Emily's house (since my house was all packed up and empty) and had a nice brunch.  Thanks to our fabulous families for providing EVERYTHING, we just showed up.  

Before Les and Ina (and Marty's brothers Todd and Craig) left, we snapped a few pictures...and then forgot to get any with my family...because, as stated before...WE ROCK! 

Marty with his boy...who was kind of sad... 

We then attempted a cousin picture...it went like this...and yes, that is my child on a slide with a toy computer.  It was the only way she'd even come over...stinker.

 

 Then we attempted some of my and my little (except not so little) family:

Finally the closest to a good picture we could get...

After that, we let the kids play as long as the cousins could stay before heading back up to their homes.  It was fun stuff!

Molly enjoyed a chocolate creamie...

And Marty played cowgirl cowboys with Molly

It was a great weekend, and made moving that much harder as the realization that we are now even FURTHER away from family set in.  We miss everyone SO MUCH and keep hoping and praying that this path will eventually lead us back home so we can make more great memories with all those we love!