Snow Day!!

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go sledding in our local mountains. It only takes about an hour to get up there and this year, we were a little busy and didn't make it up until April. Luckily, we had a pretty wet winter so there was still plenty of snow. We had actually gone to Lake Arrowhead in February, but a storm came in and it was WAY too cold and windy to go sledding. So, this time, we had a great day enjoying the Spring snow! Chad and Kylie loved the sledding, while Cameron was a bit apprehensive at first. But, once we forced him to do it, he loved it. We made a sorry attempt at making a snowman, too. We took some really neat pictures--some of them turned out so cool because of the glare on the snow! We love Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs...and we'll keep going back each year...as many times as we can!

Girl's Day Out

A couple of mom's were taking a train trip with their daughters for the day and invited us to come along. I am so glad we did. We had a little adventure up in Los Angeles, and took every kind of transportation that exists in the city.

We drove to the train station and rode a train into L.A......

Then we had to get on the subway with some interesting people. The kids loved it!

Next, we got off the subway, walked up the stairs, and caught a bus to take us to......

The La Brea Tarpits where we walked around and explored and had lunch.

Kylie got to feel just how thick the tar was - she was hardly able to move the handle.

Last, we took the bus and subway back to Union Station, and walked around Olvera Street. The kids loved all of the handmade crafts and Mexican culture. We bought some yummy handmade tortillas and a little doll to remember our special day together. I had so much fun hanging out with Kylie and all the other girls. Looking forward to doing it again!

District Music Festival

The school All Stars performing group had the opportunity to sing at the District's Music Festival in March. Its a fun night where schools all over the district can share their music - singing, instrumental, or dancing. Our group sang Walking on Sunshine and they had so much fun. You can see it on all of their faces in the pictures. They really got the crowd going and everyone loved their performance. Here are some cute pictures of Kylie and Chad from that night. I'm so glad Chad gave in and decided to join the group, he has enjoyed it. We will see what happens next year....

Here are some pics from their last performance at a school assembly. It was Hawaiian Day and they did a little hip hop dance. Kylie and Chad were front and center.....so cute!

Sweetheart Dance

Our school's elementary school had their annual Sweetheart Dance at the end of February. It is probably the biggest event of the year and the kids have a great time. Food, friends, dancing, and music - what more could you ask for? Chad's teacher is actually a D.J. on the side and so he always plays for our school events. During the dance he gathered everyone in a circle so some of the kids could show off their best moves. Chad LOVES to breakdance and is always spinning on his head or doing tricks. He is not the most outgoing kid and I thought there would be NO way he would get out there and share his cool moves. Mr. D, the DJ, gathered everyone together and said, "Okay, let's get this party started. I want Chad Ferguson to get out and start us off!" It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. I almost cried. No really. He got right out there and busted out with his best moves. So cute! I was so thankful for Mr. D who knew that Chad could dance (because they often have dance parties in their classroom) and did what he had to do to get him out there. He has done such an amazing job building Chad's confidence this year. Thank goodness for great teachers. It was a great night. Here are some pictures of each of the kids dancing and with their friends.


Such a stud!

Eric, Jacob, Chad, and Travis

Abel, Kylie, Kiara and Connor

Kylie's teacher, Mrs. Weaver was there all night dancing with the kids!

Even Cameron showed off his cool moves!

Nayo, Kylie, Victoria M., Kianna, and Victoria L.

And this is how the night ended......Kylie sprained two fingers after getting kicked by some crazy dancers. Bummer! Thank goodness they weren't broken - we just taped them up and they healed quickly. Kylie had fun trying to write with her right hand for a while! :)

Alex's First Birthday

On Valentine's Day our little nephew turned one! We had fun watching him play with new toys and dive into his first birthday cake. He was actually very gentle with it and didn't get too crazy. It was fun to spend some time with him and Mary and Alex - we don't get to see the very much! Alex is such a cute kid and is fun to be around. We are looking forward to watching him grow up and teaching our kids spanish some day!

Faith in God

From now until Kylie turns 12, she is working on her Faith in God Award for Primary. There are four different areas, and she has to complete two different goals/projects from each one, each year from age 8 to 11. One of the ideas for a project was to complete a craft or make something. My Dad's wife showed me how to make a blanket without even using a sewing machine - which is awesome for someone like me who can't sew. I thought it would be a fun project that Kylie and I could make together. We went to the fabric store and picked out some fleece material and got to work. It was so fun spending some time with just her, and we finished it in about two hours. She is so proud of this little blanket and uses it whenever she can. It's so fun to spend time with her and work on these little goals that will teach her new things, build family relationships, and strengthen her testimony along the way.

Kylie's 9th Birthday!

Wow.....we have a nine year old! What can I say about Kylie? She has an amazing light in her eyes that has been there since the moment she was born. She is such a joy to be around and so talented. We are so proud of everything she has already accomplished in her life, and I can't wait to see what she does in the future.

We had a great time with our family at a birthday dinner at our house, and David's cousins were there visiting from Oregon. She wanted to have pasta with alfredo sauce and so that is what we made. She even got to sit at the grown up table! :)






One of her favorite gifts were the Twinkle Toes Sketchers shoes from Oma! So cute! You can see the excitement just by looking at her eyes!

The Monday after her birthday was a holiday and she invited two friends to go ice skating. Kylie has wanted to go ice skating for as long as I can remember, and so it was a very special day!
She invited Haley and Kyle, two friends from school, and they had a great time together.

Just a quick story about Kyle....we hadn't talked to him in almost a year, since he moved to a new school nearby. I had his mom's phone number in my phone because he came to her party last year too. When we were talking about who to invite, Kylie REALLY wanted Kyle to come. Even more than some of the other kids she could have invited that were easier to get in touch with! She begged me to call his mom and so we did. I ended up having to leave a message, and I wasn't sure if she would even call me back or remember Kylie. Kylie and I were out one night grocery shopping and she called. I wish I could have had the video camera....Kylie was more excited than I have EVER seen her. It was the cutest thing....I think she really has a little crush on Kyle. They were great friends in second grade and did everything together, and this year without him was kind of an adjustement. On the phone, his mom said that Kyle had been wantingn to get in touch with Kylie too, and so he was also very excited. We went over the next night to bring an invitation and it was so cute and yet so awkward for them. They were both so eager to see each other, gave each other a little hug, but then didn't know what to say. She got in the car afterwards and said, "Do you think we will be friends and have fun like we used to last year?" She was a little disappointed with how their first meeting went, and so concerned. Long story short, within ten minutes of being with him at her birthday celebration, they were best friends again. They had so much fun together and it was really fun to watch.

David and I took them ice skating, and we all got out on the ice together. We had lots of fun, no injuries thank goodness, and went out for lunch after. It was a great day that I hope Kylie will always remember.