HTe Back to School Night

Daddy & Noah in front of his self portrait

"Before" this is Noah's 1st draft

"After" Noah received some great tips from his classmates and improved his portrait dramatically. Great job!

Aidan's Mask- this is how Aidan represents himself to the outside world: through soccer, his family, his interests like photography, legos, card games, his pets and his school. Awesome job!

The entire school is determined to embrace the High Tech High 5

We all enjoyed Back to School night. It was so exciting to see the boys' projects, tour the classrooms and understand how and what they are learning. We were very impressed and it hasn't even been a full month of school yet! I am sure there will be so much more they will share with us as the school year continues. We are so happy for you Noah and Aidan. Enjoy every moment!

Rain gutter Regatta

What a fun night! This was supposed to be Aidan's last night as a cub scout. It was the pack meeting just before he turns 11 and moves up to the Boy Scouts. We had planned on him receiving his arrow of light, webelo badge, and cross over the bridge into the scouting program however there was a change in plans. So one more pack meeting and everyone will be more properly prepared and really make this transition special for him. Besides we didn't want to make light of this achievement by doing it on the same night as the exciting Rain gutter Regatta. The boys built, decorated, and painted their boats. This was not as intense or detailed as the Pinewood derby. It is mainly for fun and way less competitive! You simply present your boat, place it in the water and when they say "go" you blow your lungs out in hopes of being the winner. The kids had a ton of fun but it wasn't perfect. It seemed that one side or lane always won. We made sure each kid got a turn in both lanes. As Aidan competed, Jordan enjoyed directing the kids and making sure all was fair and accurate, while Noah cheered and clapped. You can see in one of the pictures not only Aidan providing the wind for his sail but the 3 belts he is wearing to fit all 54 belt loops he has earned. Most families joke that the middle child "suffers" or doesn't get as much etc as the oldest or baby so we made sure to not only do as much for our second child but even more. So look out Noah (who is number 3) Aidan has set the bar pretty high! With 3 boys we quickly had to love scouting!

On the playground

We usually get to school a few mins early and it gives the boys a chance to play before they go to class. We thought it was so cool that they actually put part of a tree for the kids to climb on the kinder playground. Luckily all grades can use it in the morning. Did I mention that I love this school?!?!?

Aidan's 1st Project

This is one of the first projects Aidan has done at his new school. He had explained the process to me but today I actually got to see it. I am impressed. Great job Aidan!

What I miss....

I really miss our home in Lehi. I think about it a lot. I miss it even more when things are not going well here. Sometimes I think we made a mistake, financially, by coming home to San Diego. Sure we are surrounded by family and friends and that part is wonderful but we don't have a place to call "home". Majority of our stuff is in storage since we could only bring a limited amount of things to my parents house. I never thought I would miss "stuff" but I do. When I want to bake I miss opening the drawers in my kitchen and having everything ready for me as it should be. I miss going to our game closet to pick out a Sunday game which is a tradition in our family. I miss scrap booking and having all my supplies organized and in one place. I miss sending our kids to play out on our enormous play structure in the backyard that now somebody else owns. I miss snuggling up on our comfy sectional couch to watch a Charger game or movie but somebody else bought that from us too. I miss my trees and flowers and wonder if the new owners of our house are caring for them like I use to. I miss the kids each having their own rooms that they can retreat to for some much needed down time. I miss our bath time routine at night. I miss looking out our windows and seeing the fresh fallen snow. I miss having birthday parties at our house -we had quite a rhythm down with plenty of fun.... and I miss AJ and really wish he had not of died this summer. He brought a little piece of Utah back to San Diego with us and carried us through this transition. I miss feeling settled and owning our own home. One really does spend years making it as comfortable and welcoming as possible. Its your sanctuary and now its gone. Sometimes I want to wake up and have everything be like it use to... but we are here now and it hasn't really gone as planned. Having very little money has also greatly limited our choices so I will add that... I miss having money. This year though filled with happy moments and plenty of fun pictures has been one of the hardest years we've had as a family. Though many have been generous we don't often hear the phrase "how are you doing?" "how are you guys coping" but rather "what are you going to do?" "why doesn't Brandon find a different job or make more money" and when we are completely relying on the Lord without exactly knowing how it will all work out we are still called into positions of leadership and influence at church. Its nice to be seen that way, as a strength, as someone they can rely on who can make a difference but people we need help, love, and support right now. The last thing we need is judgement, criticism or unrealistic expectations for what we are going through. Our strength is running out .... I need friends who will lift me up and help me see that brighter days can and will be in our future. I am hurting, not crying and desperate, but hurting to find a wonderful future in San Diego for our family. We need to find a home of our own so we can unite as a family, enjoy each other, and move forward. How can one progress when you don't even know where you are going to live, how you are going to pay the bills etc etc. Its been over a year since we have been here and though we felt strongly about coming here to open an office and be home I often doubt those feelings now and even think "oh , what have we done?!?!" I really hope things will improve soon. In the meantime I will try not to dwell on all that I miss. I am just eager for things to return to "normal" or at least feel a little "normal" if there is such a thing.

Our Cowboy

Noah loves to dress up especially as a cowboy. It might have something to do with the fact that we moved to Lehi, Utah when he was just 5 months old and not only saw many cowboys but enjoyed riding horses at Thanksgiving Point. He was a natural- so calm and at peace on a horse. He had several cowboy hats and this one is just a felt playful hat but he sure loves to wear it. Today we went to Balboa Park and he was insistant that he wear it the entire time even on the Merry Go Round. He likes to act the part too- doesn't want to crack much of a smile but wants to look tough and brave. I tell you we watch way too many John Wayne movies! Anyway I just had to snap a few pics of my handsome little man.

My Sweet Noah

Its hard to believe that my handsome baby boy is now 6 years old. Every time I look at him I see a miracle. He is so sweet, loving, caring, playful and funny. I am so grateful that he still loves to snuggle and read stories together. I love him so much. Don't grow up too fast little man I only get to be with you a short while and then in a blink you will be a teenager like your brother!

A trip to Balboa Park

To help celebrate Pampie's birthday we went to Balboa Park during the day before going out for his special dinner. The boys, including Everett, enjoyed the train ride, the birds (Jordan is so at ease with them) and the Merry Go Round where one can reach for the brass ring. There is always a chance and this time Noah was so close!!! His arm just really isn't long enough yet but he was determined to grab one just like the older boys. He gave it his all but in the end Jordan won. We loved his attitude and desire to go for it anyway. I am sure in time he will be victorious!
We all had a great day!