Eli was baptized at the Oakland temple on January 8th! We had a big showing and at the last minute we were asked if the Francis family could baptize their daughter at the same time as us.
Ayla had a "Frozen" birthday and it was so much fun to do. Ayla had a blast and so did her friends. Later in the year, Ayla and her friends performed a song at the ward talent night singing, "Let it Go!" It was a huge hit. So was Abby's piano piece, called Flight of the Monarch. She is a stud on the piano. Eli was a little nervous to play his piece, but the year before he had performed Book of Mormon stories and did great.
*add the link to the talent night performance
Caleb had a birthday party at our house. The trampoline was awesome. Caleb wanted a football party so we had football decorations and a 49er cake. Only one fight broke out on the trampoline between Garrett Hubbard and Devin Willits. hahaha.
Ian was called to be a High Counselor in the Castro Valley ward in February. He loved it and was so sad to leave that calling when we had to move. His assignment was to speak of course, but then to work over Seminary. That was great, but stressful because Seminary graduation, his own school graduation along with the start of his summer school principal duties, and moving decisions all happened at the same time!
March- June Anne-Marie got a job with Debbie and Eric Nelson at their podiatrist's office. I loved the job opportunity and even the job. I worked 4 days a week from about 9am-2. I could drop the kids off at school then get done just in time to pick them up and continue with the rest of the afternoon driving kids here and there with their activities and other lessons. :) Ayla went to joy school on Wed/ Friday. She went to Auntie Flos on Monday and Tuesday, then I watched her friend Grace Mc Murray on Wednesday (while her mom worked), Grace and Ayla went to Flo's on Thursday together, and then Grace's mom watch Ayla for me on Friday. I loved working, which I didn't think I would. The detailed tasks that I did wasn't something that I was super great at, but I liked it. It opened my eyes to the fact that I can work, but that I do want to be in the schools where I can have the summers off with my kids. - by the way... I stopped watching the Browns in September when Shawna lost her job which meant I needed to find another job.
March- Ian went to Arizona on a business trip to Arizona where he met a woman named Cathie would told him about a job opening at Jesuit High School in Carmichael (Sacramento area). He applied and got the job as the head counselor.
Moving:
We moved July 19th to Roseville and bought our very first home. We used all of Ian's retirement money as our downpayment. We got an FHA loan and paid $365 for a beautiful home 5 houses away from the back side of the kids' Elementary school, called Heritage Oak. A crossing guard is there to walk them across the street as they walk home all by themselves!! Abby is only .8 of a mile from home but has not gone there or back on her own yet.
The boys teachers at Chabot Elementary had such great things to say about them and our family. I'm going to miss them and miss having our family continue on through there!!
Eli's teacher, Mrs. Hohn said:
Caleb's teacher, Ms. Huen said:
The Brown's usually get extra tickets to Great America and share them with us. We went again with them this year and had a blast. We love how fun the Brown's are. Shawna totally helped Abby get out of her - 'afraid of roller coasters' funk.
Abby did AMAZING for her first year at middle school. She met great friends. It helped her confidence. We were so lucky and blessed to have such great LDS friends there at the middle school- boys and girls for her and our whole family. The McMurrays, the Swenson's, Cherlynn Thomas families.
There are sooo many incredible ward families that were huge for us. The Browns, Blevins, Willits- Joe & Linda and Cathie and Jim, Woodwards, Andersons, Wadsworths, Kelsey Hammond, Rachel Smith, Francis family, Canizalez,
There was a wait list to get Caleb into the 2nd grade at Heritage Oak and he got in just a few days before school started. Awesome! And Eli's teacher, Mrs. Womack is LDS and goes to our ward building, but isn't in our ward.
Abby had a birthday party before we moved since we weren't sure we'd know enough people after we moved. Besides, this gave Abby a chance to say goodbye and hang out with her closest friends in CV before we left. We did pizza and then a back yard movie with popcorn and candy. The kids loved it. They watched The Hunger Games movie.
My dad and Merle got married Aug. 3rd and it was beautiful, delicious, and soo fun. We love Nana and her family too.
Ian's family had a fantastic family reunion in Santa Cruz in July. Beach board walk, Aquarium (Grandma & Grandpa got all the kids stuffed animals which they LOVE), beach days, party at the house with the other side of the family, etc.
Abby got to go to her first year of girls camp during the last week of July. She loved it and was able to make new friends before she started her first day of school. Such a blessing. Staying busy between moving, Farr reunion, girls camp, my dad's wedding, then 1st day of school kept everyone's mind off the nervousness of the new adventures for everyone.
Caleb's teacher had a meet and greet the day before the first day of school which is EXACTLY what Caleb needed. What an answer to his and our prayers. School started on a Wed and by Friday morning, Caleb had said a prayer about finding a friend. After school, he told us about his prayer and how Heavenly Father answered it by giving him a friend to play with at recess. I love that he thought to pray and how he recognized his blessing as an answer to his prayer. He got a friend named Eli in his class at church, at school, and then on his soccer team. WHAT a blessing!!!
I work in the boys classes- Caleb's class on Tuesdays and Eli's class on Fridays. Then I help in each of their classes as an Art Docent. I love it, but Ayla doesn't. It's a struggle with her coming along, so I'm trying to find fun things for her to do so she doesn't hate it so much.
Ian was called as the 14-15 year old Sunday school teacher and I was just called as the 2nd counselor in the Young Women's. I'm super excited. I really hope that this means I can do girls camp next summer!
Ayla learned how to pump on the swings! Very exciting. Here's a link to that.
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