Thankful for Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year we were with Todd's family, and by family, I mean his large family of dozens of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. It was the most beautiful day you could ask for! We ate outside which was actually quite peaceful, and the kids could all run around outside entertaining themselves. The day made me so grateful for my life, and the people that I love and love me back!

Her World of Pretend

I know every kid has some level of imagination, but Berkeley's is through the roof. This girl can entertain herself with a string if she wanted to. (she actual has) As far as her toys go, she can not get enough of dolls and stuffed animals. Just this week she lined them up in the entry face down and put them night night, sat them next to her to watch Cars, brushed their hair and asked them if they were OK, fed them bottles, had them wave at me when I leave, give their mommy's hugs, and danced. She is all girl and loves her girly toys. In these pictures, she was lining them all up so they could watch Dora with her. They are her best friends.

California Burning

This particular fire is about 1/2 mile away from my sisters house!!!!!

It has been so crazy knowing that these fires are within a couple hundred yards from my sisters house. She was ordered to evacuate a couple of days ago, but stayed to make sure there house did not burn down. She said that there have been families in her ward that literally were fighting off the fires on their property for hours. She also said that there are many members in her stake where their neighbors homes were burned, but theirs were spared. Yesterday my sister took her kids to my parents house, which is not in the danger zone, because the smoke has become so bad. My grandma also left her home because the smoke has been so bad. Seeing all of this happen 2 weeks after the controversial election over Prop. 8, I really don't think is a coincidence. The fact that many of the church members homes were spared just shows me that the righteous will be spared. It scares me that all of this chaos is going on where I grew up and that my family is right in the middle of it, having to endure all the persecution and the aftermath of this election, plus these fires. Last week, no on Prop. 8 activists called my dads practice and told him that they were boycotting his practiced because he helped with the yes on Prop. 8 campaign. I really don't think that it will effect his practice, but it is still very unsettling and disheartening knowing that people would stoop to that level and threaten his livelihood. I commend all the church members in California for sacrificing so much of their time and money towards prop 8. I know that if the church was not involved that it would not have passed. I will be praying for my family and all the other families in Southern California right now. It will end soon!

Berkeley and her Letters

Peculiar Play Time

Here is my goofy child. She has recently discovered that she can fit under beds, and she just discovered hiding under her bed. She hid down there until I found her. We were playing a game of hide and seek and she did not make a peep the whole time.

Then there is the extra goofy side of her where she uses her imagination a lot. She loves to play with dolls and figurines, and make them give each other hugs and kisses, and always has to distinguish between daddy, mommy, and the baby. I thought this was a quite interesting place for her baby!

Its 10 pm and Todd is still not home. His day is now officially 13 hours long. I just miss him sometimes!

My Cute Little Ladybug

Halloween was pretty funny this year. I really thought Berkeley would be all about everything, but she was very calm, and almost not excited about the whole thing. She got way more excited about going to the pumpkin patch than actual trick or treating. Our ward had a party right next door at the park, so we spent our whole night over there. Berkeley went around the party stealing hot dogs, suckers, candy, and cupcakes from who knows who! Then she trick-or-treated at the park in a large circle. It was actually quite nice because then we didn't have to walk around the neighborhood. She lasted about an hour and a half at the party, and by 6:30 she was done with the whole Halloween thing. She cracks me up......

This is the "scary man" in front of the house that she alwasy says hi too. It will be a sad day when we put scary man away.