It's A Charlie Brown Christmas

Picking out our tree this year was simplified quite a bit being short 2 opinions of the perfect tree. Gerald walked right up to the tallest skinniest tree on the whole lot and was convinced he had found it! The girls and I looked at eachother turned around and kept looking at our options but for some reason we all kept going back to the tall Charlie Brown Tree. We decided that Gerald should have the final say this year in picking the perfect tree after all, he is out numbered 3-1 these days in just about everything. After a little trimming on top and more on the bottom our Charlie Brown Tree is a perfect fit! 

Our favorite part of getting our tree every year is picking out a tree for the missionaries as well. Delivering it to their door without being seeing is always exciting and keeping a secret proves to be near impossible. This year we have a set of Elder and Sister Missionaries so it  was twice the fun! 

Trevor and his roommate Jordan made it home and were able to help decorate the tree. The Elders even popped in to help too! Between ukulele Christmas Music, trying to get lights to the top of our 15 ft tree and lots of laughter, it officially feels like Christmas! 

Almost forgot Halloween...

We may not have carved pumpkins this year, but Halloween did still manage to come.
Savannah rocked the hippie costume! 

Lancer Season Ends

Trevor's 2014 football season ended with a lively crowd in the stands cheering him on. Family from Idaho, Utah and Arizona were all there to support! Savannah said it best while driving in the car on the way to the game. "I really like how supportive our family is!" I couldn't agree with her more and to tell you the truth it brought unexpected tears to my eyes on Sunday evening when reflecting on the weekend. We are so fortunate to have both sides of the family that love and support one another through it all. Family that is willing to pull an all nighter just to play at the beach for the afternoon and catch a football game... only to get back in the car and drive home!  

FAMILY ~ We may not have it all together...But together we have it all!

SOLVANG, CA

 Trevor's second to last game was in Santa Maria, CA. We've been fortunate enough to attend all of his games this season and it was definitely in our favor this weekend! While driving to the game on Saturday we went through quite a bit of rain making Sunday the most beautiful Fall day ever and having Trevor with us was an added bonus. Outdoor adventures and picking berries off the vine in the fresh cool air had each of us appreciating Gods creations at their finest!

Yes...Gerald is inside the porta-potty!

The everyday quest to be #1

It is no coincidence that each member of our family in their own way is on a daily quest to be number one. Competition runs thick in our veins and being the best at whatever we are doing is pretty darn important to each of us! This can pose some stress and tension within the family when we are striving to be the best at the same thing which usually occurs while playing games together or during a friendly family sporting event which has ended on multiple occasions as not so "friendly". At the moment each daily quests are in very different areas of life...

Devin is living and experiencing life in a way like never before but clearly is continuing a quest to do his best everyday while serving a mission in Argentina for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.

"  I have been transferred to the Office in Salta to be the Secretary for the Mission. Along with that I am the sole provider of legality for the entire Mission.  Of the almost 300 missionaries in our mission, over half are illegal.  My focus is on what can be done next not what needs to be fixed.  My goal is in 1 year to have all missionaries in our mission 100 percent legal and with proper documentation."

 " I have fallen in love… with Buenos Aries accents and the smell of burring trash

(Very Argentinean) and it feels at times like I am living in the suburbs of Los Angeles."

Trevor has been on a quest since June 30th to attain the starting quarterback position for Pasadena City College. This has not come without some frustration and extra hours of strength training and perseverance. Last weekend he was given the opportunity to QB the second half of the Lancers game against East LA and he did not disappoint! His phone call last night confirmed that he has earned the starting position for next weeks game... Success in his quest to be number one! 

Natalie is a little more reserved and quiet when it comes to vocalizing her passions and goals. She is taking the same math class Devin took his Junior year and it was exciting for her to find the notebook he used for this very class! She was concerned about using the notebook and the ethical issue it posed. Her quest to be number one must be fair with no advantages from cheating in any way! After finding the notebook she located the first test of the year...the same test she had just taken herself. Devin received an 86% and Natalie scored an 80% missing almost the same exact questions. She may not verbalize it, but you can see the desire in her eyes to ultimately out preform Devin in her IB Math class. 

 Savannah has 8 more months until she graduates from 8th grade and enters High School. Five months after that she will be competing for a spot on the La Quinta High girls water polo team. Actually, not just any spot, but a spot on the Varsity Team as a Freshman! She made the decision this month to not only play club water polo 3 days a week but add swim practices the other 3 days. I was very reluctant at the idea of committing to participate 6 days a week and wanted to know the reason why. Her response, "I am not progressing anymore with my polo practices and need to be a faster swimmer if I'm going to make the Varsity team next year." I was sold and really admire her determination to work harder knowing it will help her achieve her goal for 2015.

                    

Gerald is hands down the number one supporter of all his children. He succeeds in his quest everyday and the product of our children is the proof! Always teaching strength, determination and the urgency to never settle for mediocrity! He is the epitome of hard work and serving others! 

Conversations From The Passenger Seat

I'm thankful I've been fortunate enough to pick my children up from school all these years!

You can tell a lot about a person's day in the first 15 seconds of them getting in the car. Today, Savannah hopped in the car very frustrated...primarily from the temperature being 115 degrees outside and then the rest of her frustration unfolded while she sat next to me in the front seat of my car. This is actually a regular occurrence with Savannah as she has been willing to communicate and share most everything with me. 

Being a perfectionist can be a detriment some days and Savannah really hates when she makes a mistake... especially when it is out of character. Today during her PE Dance class she placed her back pack inside her locker which normally would be the right thing to do.  However, being early in the year, she hasn't completely memorized her lock combo and when she returned to her locker at the end of class, her mind was blank. She had forgotten the number sequence needed to open her lock, change her clothes and move on to her 8th period class. The information was safely tucked inside her back pack which was securely locked! 

The PE teachers made it very clear at the beginning of the year that they would not tolerate nor babysit any student that could not be responsible for their locks and combinations and this is what Savannah feared most! That she would now be put in the category as one of those irresponsible students that required "baby sitting". She spent the next 10- 15 minuets going back and forth between the boys locker room and the girls locker room trying to get the information needed to open her locker. When asking her teacher, "What can you do to help me", her teachers response was "There is nothing I can do". NOTHING YOU CAN DO???  This response of course did not make sense to Savannah because there is ALWAYS a way to solve any problem and she has been taught we are all capable of figuring it out!  She could not get over why an adult teacher at her middle school was so unwilling and incapable of helping her solve her problem. 

Savannah's problem did get solved and it made for a very eye opening discussion as to how we react to situations that "happen". Throughout our lives these unwanted situations do "happen" and it's how we react to them that set us apart for everyone else. 

College Fooball

Trevor had his first college football game Saturday and despite the loss to El Camino, he was smiles after the game. He got some decent playing time at tight end and was also on punt return. Still focused and working hard to earn his position as quarter back seems to keep him motivated and excited for the season ahead. 

Summer Snap Shots

Corona Del Mar

Big Bear Hike

Summer fun in Utah

I GOT MAIL!

Fall Already?

The change in our household has been pretty drastic over the last couple of months. Starting off the summer by saying goodbye to Devin for 2 years was a doozy! Watching Trevor graduate from High School was also bitter sweet mainly because there wasn't much of a summer with him! Football started at Pasasena City College the end of June with only a 10 day break in July before starting the Fall semester. He and Ben Thrasher stayed in a Super 8 until full time living accommodations came available. After lots of frustration and the test of patience, we were finally able to move them into a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment on August 16th. They are only 1.3 miles from the school in a perfect location for 2 broke college students. 

Whew! What a relief! 

Gerald, myself and two teenage girls is quite a contrast from our household last fall which consisted of Trevor, his girlfriend Lilly and at least 2-3 additional boys all year long. It was a year full of advise giving and question answering discussions and now we get to sit back and watch as their first year of college unfolds for each of them. Not only has our house drastically changed, but our food bill has shrunk considerably and it takes me half the time to do laundry these days. It is so rewarding to watch the appreciation of small things slowly come from your children as they leave home and start doing it all for themselves. 

Natalie just started her Junior year and really loves the independence she has found with being able to drive. She has taken Devin's KIA under wing very happily and is off to seminary at 6am in the morning and not home until after water polo practice in the evening.  She has patiently waited to have her own room and just recently got the okay from Dad! 

After giving birth to Savannah, I remember coming home, looking at Natalie and feeling like she had grown up overnight! I swear when I left for the hospital Natalie was still a baby and her transformation into the big sister was instantaneous! The same has happened this summer. As the oldest in the family moves to college, the next in line takes on this transformation just like the butterfly. It becomes their time to shine, their time to lead and for their voice to be heard. I have loved watching Natalie take her shape as the oldest in the house. For so many years she has been a quite strong supporter of everyone around her and it is finally her turn to lead and be looked up to.

Savannah never seemed to think it was necessary to wait for her turn to lead. As she heads into 8th grade she is definitely a born leader. In fact she is learning that she might not know everything about every situation she walks into. She is one that teachers rely on to get it done and she loves the responsibility. Being the head of the school as an 8th grader will make for a very fun, memorable year and it's already underway with the planning of a back to school glow stick party ... Just the beginning of a great school year ahead!

Trevor was awarded the Kerber Foundation Scholarship this summer

Elder Hampton made it to Argentia

Dear Hampton Family,
                We wanted to inform you that your missionary has arrived to our mission, has eaten dinner with us, has been trained, is with his trainer, and today is in his new area. We are very thankful to have him with us, now counting him among the Lord´s messengers. We know that you, like him, will receive great blessings because of his faithful service in this Work.
                We advise you to always send uplifting letters to help him and allow him to stay focused on his mission. When sending packages we advise that you do not let him know you are sending the package, because the missionaries become very anxious and the mail system may delay in sending the package.
                We have a group on facebook where we put photos of the Zone Conferences and other moments where when we have the opportunity to be together. You can access that group by sending a request with the last name of your missionary. The name of the group is Mision Argentina Salta 2011– 2014.
                We appreciate your prayers for this wonderful work of saving the souls of our Heavenly Father.
Cordially,


Elder Hymas|Secretario
       Misión Argentina Salta
              o. 0387.439.8119
              c. 0387.594.9900

LQHS 2014 Graduation

Trevor was all thumbs up and smiles at graduation! 

He's ready to start football on June 30th and school in the Fall at Pasadena City College.