Proud Mom

My primary president had been telling me that she had a blog and I finally found it today. I was scrolling through her posts and found this gem about my daughter, Jane. It made me cry, and my heart swell, that someone also sees in Jane what Robert and I see on a daily basis. For those that don't know, Jane was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Juvenile Arthritis in January of this year.

I love being with the Primary children on Sunday. My counselors and I leave Sacrament Meeting a little early so we can set up the chairs. One of my counselors often brings her children to help. Jane is a sweet 4-year-old. She is amazing when it comes to arranging the chairs. She drags chairs that are bigger than she is into place.

Jane is fearless. She and I have arthritis in our knees, and we both take medication. There are days that my mobility is not great, and my knees hurt. Jane’s mother tells me that she insists on doing what everyone else is doing. She does not give up. I love her “Can Do” spirit. She is one of my heroes.

Disneyland!

Robert and I were a little nervous to take the 4 young kids by ourselves to Disneyland. But, when the day came, everything went great. The kids stayed right by us, were great in all the long lines, and we had a fun time. We all got a lot of walking in. It was a fun day to have together as a family. The rides were fun and fireworks were great. We got there just before it opened and made it until almost 11pm. The kids wanted to stay longer but we still had a drive home. The kids slept all the way home.

Disneyland was all decked out in its Halloween decor. This picture was taken on on our way out of the park. The end of a long day.

Robert, Claire and Bruce driving their car around.

 Me and the kids on the train.

Bruce's favorite rides were the roller coaster in Tune Town & the Buzz Lightyear one.

Linda's favorite rides were It's A Small World and Splash Mountain.

Jane's favorites were Splash Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Claire liked them all. She especially Winnie the Pooh ride.

Linda had a permanent smile all through It's a Small World. She loved how beautiful everything was.

It was a much needed vacation, and I think we all feel more ready to face the world again...tomorrow. :)

Hotel and Beach

We took a little vacation this past three day weekend. We really needed to step away from the daily grind of real life and spend some time together, away from it all. The kids were sooo excited to go. Even though we live less than an hour away from Disneyland we got a hotel for a couple of nights. It's so nice to live where most people vacation!  The kids love staying at a hotel. Jane begged me to let us stay a third night. The kids each took a turn with Robert in the hotel pool, we watched movies in our room and of course the hotel breakfast buffet was a hit. :) We were also were able to stop by Aunt Cyndi's house for a little while.

We drove around Newport Beach, which I love. Maybe if Robert and I go to medical school and both become successful doctors, we can afford to live there someday. :) We let the kids explore the Corona Del Mar beach. The kids had a great time climbing on the rocks. It was a beautiful day. Love this beach.

The Public Library

I've rediscovered the children's programs at the public library. They're great...and free! Jane and Claire love it. We'll be going to storytime twice and week(at two different libraries) and all the kids will go to the after school craft on Wednesdays. They have a lot of family events on Friday nights too. This will help me keep the kids busy!!

Jane and Claire made fire hats and worked on their color books.

Storytime!

More Swimming

Jane would love to be in preschool this year, but as it happens, it didn't work out. Since she enjoys swimming so much I put her in a two week class for younger kids. There was only her and a little boy who would rarely get in the water. So, basically it was private lessons. She laughed and worked hard and is really comfortable in the water. She was so excited at the end of the lessons when she earned her certificate and candy.

My Blog Makeover Has Begun

So, as you can see, I am doing a blog makeover! I was getting tired of looking at the same old pictures, layout and title.

This Saturday we are getting our family pictures taken at the beach. I am anxious to see how they will turn out. Last year we got our pictures done by a good friend in Virginia. The pictures really captured the beautiful scenery and colonial buildings that surrounded us when we lived there. This year I want to capture where we are living now, next to the California beach. No matter how many times we go to the beach, each time I'm amazed at the grandeur and beauty of it all. The smells, birds, sand, and sea life never cease to amaze me.

So, anyway, I should have new pictures up in a couple weeks or so. Stay tuned...and thanks for those that stop by and check my blog out every once in a while. :)