Temple Trip

Our stake temple day was last Thursday, but it is always difficult to find childcare in the middle of the week. So Beth thought it would be nice if we all went to the temple as a family. We toured the visitor center and walked the grounds. Jose was very excited to see the temple for the first time. He was particularly interested in an exhibit of pictures called Reflections on the Life of Christ. While the other children played, he intently studied the pictures with Beth. He really wanted to go into the temple, but we weren't able to do that. The next night before bed Jose told me that he wanted to go back to the temple. I hope we have a chance to visit the temple together again.

Emma's New Talent

Emma recently took first place in high jump at the district track meet. She jumped 4'-7", which is only 3 inches shy of qualifying for state in high school. The amazing thing is that this was her first track meet ever. The high school coach was at the meet, and he told her that she jumps higher than any of the freshmen on his team. He also told her she had to join track. She will be jumping at the regional track meet tomorrow.

March Madness

Spencer just finished his first basketball season. Several of his friends were on the team and his dad coached. Amber, Emma, and Beth all supported the effort. Amber and Emma organized a cheer leading squad who performed at the end of practices. Jose and Anna really wanted to be part of the team but they were too young. Beth helped by organizing and distributing information, making phone calls to the team, and picking up the team pictures and trophies. We held the basketball practices in our driveway while the girls conducted cheer leading in our game room.

Although the league is organized to focus on very basic skills, competition was fierce at times. Most of the players on our team could dribble and a couple could even make a shot on an 8-foot high basket. Before the first game all the parents were saying that they would be surprised if either team scored more than a couple of baskets. The opposing team stole the ball, blocked shots, double teamed our players, and shot like 5 year old all stars. After the game one parent suggested that we start having multiple practices each week, and another jokingly suggested multiple practices every day.

All the players had a great time and they all improved during the season. Spencer told me that he loves basketball, and that was all I really wanted to hear. One parent told me that her son had finally learned to dribble. Another parent said that her son wanted to play all the time now. I have included a team picture and a very short video with this post.

Star Gazing

We held our family home evening lesson and activity outside tonight. We all sat on a blanket and learned about trying to be more like Jesus. After the lesson we gazed up at the stars, talked, and ate peanut butter cookies. We looked at Orion, Canis Major, Betelgeuse (pronounced beetle juice), the Pleiades (AKA seven sisters), and Taurus. It was a great family bonding time. Everyone was so happy. It brought to mind cherished family moments from my childhood. It is just a simple night with everyone snuggling up, but I remember how such simple moments left lasting impressions on me.

Home Shopping

The addition of 3 new children to our home has lead us to look for a home with a little more space. We found a home that would provide enough space to last for a long time. Plus, the home is on nearly a 1/4 acre lot, which is respectable by metro Phoenix standards. We signed a contract to purchase a new home on Saturday. Our purchase is contingent on the sale of our existing home, so we will see how that goes. The market is great for buyers, just not so good for sellers. The links to the floorplan and renderings are on my link list, so feel free to have a look.

Big Year Ahead

Some significant events that will happen in 2008 include:

• Beth and I celebrating our 16th anniversary on June 5th
• Spencer starting kindergarten in August
• Emma entering high school in August
• Amber getting baptized in Septmeber

We don't know yet if we will have three permanent additions to our family (Jose, Anna, and Fabian), but we should find that out this year as well.

This is a picture of the family back in November, before Fabian was born.