old stomping ground ~ CA

We lived in Southern California for 2 years...almost 9 years ago.  WOW!!  It's been along time.  While in Cali, for the reception, we had to drive down memory lane.  Before moving there, I always pictured it looking like the picture below, streets lined with palm trees.  Not many of the streets are.  But this one is and this is the street Mason was born on.  When I was going to my appointments I always loved the look of all these palm trees.  I wanted to get a picture.  We moved when Mason was 10 months old and I never got a picture.  This time I made sure to get many pictures.  Mason has always asked where he was born and was excited to finally to see.  When the moment arrived he really didn't care.  So I went down memory lane and enjoyed every moment of it.

We also went past our old neighborhood.  This the elementary school that McKinzie and Bailee attended.  It is much smaller than I remember.

Our home looks almost exactly the same.  When we lived there we had a palm tree in the front yard near the sidewalk.  I loved that little tree.  I think all the first day of school pictures are in front of the palm tree.

Up the street from our house is a nature center.  The two girls would go there all the time with some neighbor girls.

The kids wanted to hike up the trail to a rock that had graffiti on  it.  It was quite a climb.

Bailee told me they use to climb up here all the time.  Bailee was in first grade and McKinzie was in 6th.  I was a little surprised.

The boys loved it.  They want to move back so they can play on the mountain regularly.

It really was a great day.  The memories, climbing the "mountain", spending time together and in no rush what so ever.

This trip really made me miss California.  If we could have the same lifestyle there that we have here (size of home, cost of living...) I would move back in a heartbeat! 



CA with family

Sunday after the reception we were able to hang out with family in San Diego.  Brian's brother and wife live there and they took us to a cool beach.  Unfortunately is was a cold wet day. 

The kids didn't care how cold it was.  :)

Later that day we went to the Mormon Battalion Museum.  It was very interesting.  It really reached out to the kids.  They thought it was great.

We went to Jeff and Claudia's and these two boys played war for 2 hours straight. 

We caught up with everyone for a couple of hours on Monday, at another beach, before we headed home. 

All the boys had so much fun together.  I wish we could live closer to cousins.  It always takes a day to warm up to each other then their best friends and don't want to leave.  



parties

The boys had their holiday parties on Friday.  I'm Mason's room mom, so I did the organizing and few other moms were there to help.  It was very simple.  We had food,

 a gift exchange (which was a gently used book),

 then a couple rounds of musical chairs.  Mason made it to one of the last three.  Very exciting!

 Carson's class did a couple crafts and also had a book exchange.

Tonight we are going to our Ward Christmas Party.  I'm looking forward to the program.  McKinzie and Geoff are supposed to sing together.  This will be good.  ;)

Brian and I went out this afternoon and picked up the last two gifts we needed.  Christmas cards have been mailed.  Parties are about finished.  All we need is our annual picture in front of the Christmas tree and our FHE downtown (that's planned for Monday).  I'm thinking we're ready!!

CA Temples

If we had stayed living in Fontana, this would have been our temple, the Redlands Temple.  I really wanted to go past it.  It was still in construction when we moved.  Of course, it's beautiful!!  It was a perfect Southern California day.

The day before, we were able to go to the San Diego Temple.  It's a castle!!

He is such a cutie!!!  We knocked a flower off so I had an impromptu photo shoot of him.  Too cute!

choir concert...again!

The 4th and 5th grade choir, at Mason's school, went to the Administration Building this morning for a concert.  They sang 4 or 5 Christmas songs.  They all did great. 

On another note, Mason has cellulitis.  Ten days of a strong antibiotic and he should be back to normal.  I'm glad it's simple.  But then again Mason taking medicine is never simple.  It will be a challenge twice a day for 10 days.  I wish they could give him a shot and be done.  It really would be easier for both of us.  

choir concert

I've never seen a choir concert become a 2 act play, but that's what happened last night at Karlee's concert.  She was "Grandma" with pearls and all.  She did great.

 She had a small solo part and also did a little dancing. 

santa bread

Whenever I make something that many kids will have a problem with, I try and make homemade bread or rolls.  I get regular emails from Taste of Home, sometimes too many, and they had this super cute Santa.  It was super easy, especially since I made the bread in my bread maker. ;)

surprise

Mason woke up this morning with a swollen cheek.  This is not the type of surprise he is looking for this Christmas season.  :)

He has an appointment this morning.  Hopefully it's a simple infection and with meds it will go away quickly.

He asked this morning if I had something he could put in his mouth so both cheeks could be the same.  Poor guy.  He knows everyone at school is going to ask what happened...he hates attention.