After 5 months of living in Cali, we found out from our landlord that we would have to move. We did have a 6 month lease but they had indicated that we could stay there a lot longer. However, that fell through because they decided they wanted to renovate their house and we needed to get out. Around 3 weeks later we had been lucky to find another house nearby and moved in over the over the Thanksgiving weekend. The week before we moved, we had an early birthday for Hyrum. With a large yard, we thought it would be easy having 10 boys over and planned to do a treasure hunt outside. Unfortunately the rain and cold weather finally came and so the boys were all inside, with way too much energy. I have never had a party more out of control than that party!!! We had unfortunately told all the children that they could have birthday parties since they were a little apprehensive being the new kids in town. I lived to regret it!
The weekend we moved into our new house we had Bethany's birthday becuase it had been planned ages ago!! Trying to unpack and organise another party was painful. Lets just say it was a very basic party and I was glad to see the last little guest walk out the door with their parent!!!!
Now the birthdays are out the way, we can unpack more and enjoy Christmas activities. We still don't have all our furniture but we make do and are happy that our new place has an open fire.
Watching a Christmas DVD, Elf as a family and someone invites all the teddies
Cooking gingerbread men.
In year 1, they had a cookie exchange at a friends house and Santa was there. (You all bring a batch of cookies and go home with an assortment of everyones cookies. Yummy!)
San Francisco.
One of our family traditions at Christmas time is to buy a new Christmas decoration. We went into the city to Pier 39 and went to this very lovely Christmas shop. We wanted to go on this carousel but it was out of order when we got there. We also went to Bubba Gump's (Famous in Forest Gump) and had fish and chips which were the best we have found in the States.
The Christmas decoration we got was a Christmas decorated San Francisco trolley car.
Hot donuts!!!! So delicious on a very cold night. So funny that we are getting used to Christmas's in winter!
On another night we came back into the city to see the real live, huge ginger bread house and go ice skating at Union Square. The heart of San Francisco. It was the highlight of our Christmas.
It was very hard to tell the children not to eat the candy....lollies, when you saw the grown-ups doing it!
Couldn't resist!
The famous trolley in the background.
We went into the massive mall before skating to eat and the children voted on panda express.
So magical!!!
Christmas eve we spent the evening with the Boyce's and Parry's. Ate a delicious meal, caroled and the children acted out the nativity scene.
T'was the night before Christmas...
......and then early Christmas morning!
University of California, Berkeley, where I visited with Susan Lloyd (one of our neighbours at BYU) for the weekend. She was doing a dance workshop and I came along for moral support : )
Riding to school from our new house. (We are actually on our old house's street which was just around the corner from school.)
Even though we are locals to the area now, we still feel like tourists. It is so much fun to organize different family activities and feel like we are on vacation.
Looking at the seal poking up at us....
Where the seals sleep.
Sisterly moment.
Isaac choose this ride, but then chickened out. So he chose the beautifiul old carousel with his mummy.
