November & December activities

We have had a lot to keep us busy the last couple months.

In November we took a trip to Utah for a week and stayed at The Marriott Mountainside in Park City. It was a nice little get away for our family, compliments of an old college friend.

We visited Temple Square in Salt Lake while we were there as well as the Church History Museum.

On our way back to California we stopped at an art exhibit called 7 magic mountains

Thanksgiving this year was spent at the fire station. Billy worked the entire week straight after we got back from Utah. It was a feast to behold, catered by 2 different hotels. So much food that the oven roasted turkey sat as a center piece of the table and was never touched! (don't worry, I took it home and used every bit of it, including the bones)

Billy ran a trail marathon at the end of November! He did great- finished and was rewarded his well deserved medal for completing.

Then the Thomas fire happened- we called it the Grinch fire. Billy was gone for almost the entire month of December. Blah. We stayed in town when most fled.... and enjoyed activities like the Library and the Zoo's indoor pavilion (plus a bonus train ride)

We decorated cookies at the fire station and met with Santa

Made gingerbread houses (out of grahm crackers) and decorated them with a few friends

Decorated the house and tree

and even made it out on a family bike ride along the waterfront.

2017 has been quite the year for our family.... we have been through a lot to say the least. But, we still count our many blessings everyday and are grateful for all that we have.

Pumpkin patch morning

We made it to the pumpkin patch this season. It was a hot day and we didn't stay too long or enjoy everything there was to offer... but I did manage to get a few pictures :)

Sweet gifts of Love

I wanted to post and record some of the sweet and amazingly touching gifts I and my family have received in the last couple weeks. Lots of days of wet eyes, but with more joy than sadness.

 Well, this was the first one that came just after Spencer passed. A homemade pure white outfit to dress our angel Spencer in for his service and final resting basket.

 An amazing drawing and water color of our family

 A hand painted card of a Canyon Wren with the sweetest words inside

A tree outside our church building purchased and dedicated to Spencer. It's right where we always park for church and we now have a new tradition to take a family picture there every Sunday.

 A beautiful clear locket with Spencers foot prints, a white pearl, an angel charm, and a little S. A quote on the back that reads : There is no footprint too small that it cannot make an imprint on this world.

 Spencer's hand and foot prints matted and framed.

There are more that I haven't even taken pictures of... and  sweet card and gifts continue to surprise me all the time. It's been so wonderful to be lifted by so much love.

Angel baby~ Spencer Canyon Wrenn

Billy and I received a card in the mail yesterday from some friends that brought tears to our eyes . It read "An angel touched the ground for a short time- he filled your hearts with love and then softly returned to his heavenly home."

Oh how we love and miss you, sweet little Spencer.

New little friend

About a month ago this little black kitten showed up around our house. It was pretty skittish when we would come outside, it would run away when it saw us. It was about the same time that I discovered a mouse in the house too and a mouse nest in the outside art cupboard. Anyway, one morning the boys went to the back yard to play baseball as usual and they came back in shortly because they said there were several chewed up mice in the back yard. Awesome news. The mouse inside was never caught and never found, but there is no trace of it anymore. I'm thinking it went out the way it came in and the kitten got it.
Well, Billy brought it out a little bowl of milk one morning as a thank you for helping with the mice... and it has stuck close by ever since. The kids can all pick it up and pet it and it seems to have adopted our family. Not sure I am too excited for one more thing to take care of... but we give it some cat food each morning and we shall see what happens.  It's NOT allowed in the house, and I am sometimes bugged at how much it sits at the door and meows... but, hopefully we wont have any more mice in the house.
The kids have named it Blackie. Seems to be a good little cat.

New toys

We have been talking for the past 4 years, since we moved over to the ranch, that we ought to buy some quads to play on....
Well, one of Billy's co-workers was selling his and I told him we wanted to buy them!

So we now own 2 mini quads and the boys are in heaven! If it wasn't for the fact that it has been 100 degrees everyday and super humid, we would have already used them way more... but so far, around the house, our little neighborhood, to the mail boxes, and one trip on the ranch has made the boys super happy.  So many good times to come!