November & December Recaps

The Annual Hampton Family Christmas Dinner hosted by the Davis Family

 The Nativity Story

 Joseph ~ Mary~ Baby Jesus

Savannah organized a Christmas party and gift exchange for this cute group of freinds

 Decorating Christmas houses was a little tricky as they kept falling apart

 After much patience and a lot of frosting...the finished product! 

 Adorable!

 The aftermath of decorating! Lots of candy in the mouth on the table and even more on the floor!

  

  So Much to be Thankful for...

Thanksgiving 2013        

Change...

What is it about change in routine that throws me so off? We moved 2 months ago and there are days that I still feel like I'm walking in circles! Our move has been so seamless and really refreshing actually. The kids and I spent the summer prior to moving de-cluttering, selling furniture on Craig's List and simplifying our lives as much as possible. Moving from a 6,000 sq ft home to a 3,100 sq ft home meant re-evaluating what we really needed to take with us. With the kids help we were very successful in accomplishing this which has made for an easy transition. The girls miss their large room and extra space but are so good about making it "work" and the fact that we now have a pool in the backyard far outweighs all of the compromising with a smaller house. We have been in the pool just about every day since our move in August and not an evening goes by that Trevor and his buddies don't fire up the spa after football practice. There is nothing to miss about cleaning the extra 3,000 sq ft of home we left behind and Gerald seems to be able  to come home and relax with his family which is invaluable! All good signs that we are in the right place at the right time! 

What's next?  Next on the list is helping Trevor decide on the right fit for college next year which will hopefully include playing football and being a "student athlete". Natalie is getting her drivers permit next week and gearing up for another season of high school water polo and it's all I can do to slow down he process of Savannah growing up too fast in middle school. From time to time she still calls me "Momma" which sounds a little juvenile coming out of her mouth but I have to admit... I love hearing it and she can call me Momma as long as she wants! Devin manages to get home on the weekend for Friday night football and as much as he is missing the college life at Cal Poly SLO, he is really enjoy working with Todd in his loan business. He will submit his mission papers in the next couple of months and can hardly wait to receive his call to serve!

Sister Missionaries

 Sister Davis and Sister Whitford came over on their Prep-Day for a little Manicure/Pedicure TLC! It was so much fun pampering these beautiful ladies! 

 Savannah and Sister Whitford were scheming up business ideas which had something to do with spray on shoes...we were all laughing hysterically. She even let Savannah express her creative side and do custom design painting on her toes. They were custom for sure...so fun!

These ladies are so selfless and have sacrificed 18 months of their normal lives to serve The Lord. I am always amazed and the humble nature and obedience the missionaries exemplify and continue to be inspired to be a better missionary myself! The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives my life meaning and direction and it would be selfish to keep the gift that it is in my life a secret!

Feelin' like Fall

Each week ends with the anticipation of a Friday night football game under the lights... It's also a sure sign that Fall is here! LQHS has had a pretty tough pre-season game schedule but were are continuing to improve with a record of 2-2 thus far. 

Has anyone seen August?

Not sure where the whole month of August went but I am remembering more with each box I unpack...oh yes, it was spent packing up our home and moving! We sold our chicken/goat/palm tree farm and will be renting a beautiful home closer to the schools and "life" until we decide what our next step will be. Moving went very smooth! We are settled in and loving our new home with a beautiful back yard and swimming pool (something we have really missed as a family for the past 6 years). School is in full swing as well as football season and everyone is pretty darn happy with the school year ahead of them. 

There are a few things that should not go unmentioned that did happen in August and had nothing to do with moving. Devin is working and living with Trina and Todd while he prepares and saves for his mission and we were able to go visit him and have a day at the beach in Corona Del Mar. We always look forward to leaving the Desert heat behind for a quick escape to the beach. Devin took us each snorkeling and some of us got to see schools of baby sharks fairly close to the shore (Savannah was one of the lucky...but not too thrilled). We also made quite the journey WITHOUT SHOES...ACROSS LOTS OF SHARP ROCKS to "Jump Rock"...and that is exactly what we did! Our feet will never be the same but I guess you could say it made our day very memorable.

To top off the weekend, we were able to go to Megan Strickland's missionary farewell. She will be serving Spanish speaking in Nashville, TN and learning the language in Mexico City prior to going to Nashville. Megan and Devin met in San Luis Obispo and have been "special" friends ever since.  Note in the picture that Devin and Megan have matching skirt and tie...go ahead and roll the eyes. I did, but you have to admit...pretty darn creative and cute!