Piano

Jane started an after school piano program for a few weeks last year. Her teacher offered one free private lesson then a chance to participate in a recital with her other regular piano students. Jane did great at the recital and we've put her in lessons once a week. We're excited to watch her develop this talent. She is picking it up really fast.

Snow!

While visiting my sister in Henderson, NV last week we got to go sledding. This was the first time the kids had ever played in snow or seen so much of it in real life. (They did see snow in Virginia but they were too young to remember.) There was a lot of snow up on the mountain and it was COLD!

Me and Jill

Christmas Pictures

Here are a few pictures from Christmas!

2015 Family Letter

Merry Christmas! We've enjoyed a nice 2015. We still love living in Oceanside, CA and would only move if forced to do so. Oceanside feels like home to us. We've been blessed with good health and good friends this year.

Robert- Robert got to take a long awaited trip back to Argentina this year. He got to attend a soccer game of his favorite team, Racing Club. He loved every second of it. He loved visiting families that he still keeps in touch with from his mission. A piece of his heart will always be in Argentina.
Robert got called as the adult Sunday school teacher. It's a challenging calling that takes a lot of preparation. He does really well with it.
He joined a soccer team with some friends and enjoys that each week. His knees don't enjoy it so much though. :)

KaDee- KaDee keeps busy with keeping everyone organized and getting everyone to the different activities they need to be at. She keeps the kids on track at school and was elected one of the School Site Council Representatives at the middle school.  This year she became a certified Home Health Care Worker. If she could just get over changing diapers and showering old men she may actually take it up as a profession. :) She works with Bruce on Scouts and is also the Primary Secretary.

Bruce- Bruce, 12,  is enjoying 7th grade much more than he liked 6th. He continues to get a 4.0 and is taking advanced math this year. He loves playing sports and discovered he really enjoys running. He played basketball and soccer this year. Bruce received the Aaronic Priesthood this summer. He is a counselor in his Deacons Quorum. He just finished up his Star scout. He has been working on new magic tricks, reading, and is always whistling. :)

Linda- Linda is doing great in middle school. She joined a few clubs and also the middle school volleyball team and a city team. Linda is 11 now and already has a family that has her babysit for them. She really enjoys it and loves that she has money now to buy clothes and things. She still plays the violin and had a concert in December. Linda enjoys reading, creating, leading, singing, and she is growing up so fast! She is a good friend.

Jane- Jane, 9, is the Vice President at her school. She was also nominated for a leadership program. She started playing piano and had her first recital a few days ago. She picked it up really fast. She started basketball this year and really enjoys it and is good at it. She looks forward to it each week. She likes to do anything active, play with dogs, take care of her fish, and she knows how to work hard. She got braces on and and expander and rubber bands! No fun, but she is a trooper

Claire- Claire, 7, looks forward to getting baptized in the summer. She is a smart girl and does really well in all of her subjects at school. She is funny, witty, and has a great vocabulary.(seriously) Claire played soccer this year and really loved it. She says she wants to try tennis in 2016. She loves talking and having friends and being silly. Claire likes to help cook, draw, play computer games, and do hair. She still struggles with her articulation which sometimes frustrates her. She has been seeing the Speech teacher but this week we make things official with an IEP and start working even harder.

Other things:
Welcomed baby Evylin in to the family.
Robert and I got a week long vacation to Alaska.
Sledding and playing in the snow for the first time.
Visiting Aunt Jill

Betty Jane

Robert's Aunt Betty died suddenly in December.

 She will be missed. 

She was the only Aunt on the Thompson side of the family. 

Obituary for Betty Anderson

Born in Ontario, Oregon on 31 May 1955, Betty Jane was the fourth child and only daughter of Marion and Lucille Thompson. Betty grew up in San Dimas, CA, where, smart and energetic, Betty enjoyed competing with her older brothers, reading Russian novels, and being a proud Republican. Graduating high school at age sixteen, Betty started college at Cal Poly Pomona before transferring to Brigham Young University where Betty met her husband, Dennis. She proactively asked him out for their first date and they married six months later on 27 April, 1974 in the Los Angeles Temple.

Amid her busy life as wife and mother of nine children, Betty finished her bachelor’s degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She later completed her master’s degree in Education at Cal Poly Pomona while simultaneously teaching in the Pomona school district. Betty was an accomplished teacher of science and history who motivated her first-generation students to pursue higher education. Ever active, Betty has the distinction of being one of a handful of fervent Republicans to ever attend, and actively speak at, the National Educators’ Association annual meetings. Cheering for Mitt Romney at the 2012 Republican National Convention with her brother, Bruce, was a highlight of her political hobby.

Betty’s passions included being with her family, contributing to her family history, eating international food, building doll houses for her granddaughters, following politics, reading fiction, and working outdoors on her 16 acre property.

Betty is survived by Dennis, her nine children, currently eight grandchildren, and three brothers. She was preceded in death by her parents and her stillborn son, Marion Merl.

We all drove out to Henderson, NV and the kids and I stayed there with my sister. Robert went to the funeral with his brothers in Utah.