Fall 2018

We had the most busy fall I think we've ever had! We started it out by packing up our apartment and putting everything in storage, Sean studied for, took, and passed his test, interviewed for jobs, and was offered a job, we bounced around to three different homes while we waited for a job offer, and finished it off with a move to Hidden Valley Lake, CA! Wow! Meanwhile, Mason continued to excel in both his old and new schools, and Luke continued to learn what it's like to be top dog at home, even if it's just for a few hours a day! And Cori, she just keeps growing and learning!!

It took me a few days to take a picture, so technically this was in summer still, but this was the first time Mason was start student in his class! He was SO EXCITED!

Sean had the idea to let the boys paint rocks. Then he got all crazy about the paint they were getting on their clothes and I had to take over. 

Sleeping babes in Relief Society!

We took a second trip up to the temple in September and Sean caught a lizard! 

This was the most hilarious text to get from Mason's school! At kinder pick up, Mason's teacher told me the office was getting calls about a possible roadrunner too! Lol!

Sean's mom sent us a package, and in it was one of Sean's old school notebooks. This was in there. When I read it, I laughed for a few minutes! It's so Sean!!

One of the ways the kinder teachers at Mason's school suggested helping the kids learn quantities was by playing War. Mason loves it!

My outside lovin' babe!

Train tracks all the time!

I really love the tree out in front of our apartment! It makes the best shade!

Oh he loves her!!

Mason and Luke really wanted to go to the wave restaurant (Costa Vida), but we didn't really have any money to spare. I remembered our change jar, so we cashed it in, and took the boys to dinner. They were so happy!

Love this cute baby girl!

We went to do sealings at the temple. We dropped the boys off at a friends house, and picked up a babysitter to walk around the temple with Cori while we went in.

Watching a show with sister!

These boys. Are such boys. They played in the mud and got super dirty, and this was part of the result of their play. At least they weren't fighting?? 

They love when Cori is up on the top bunk with them, promise.

What a trooper! Luke bikes to and from Mason's school twice a day, once at drop off and once at pick up. He doesn't ever complain and loves it so much!

One of our last zoo trips! 

  

The second time Mason got to be Star Helper! The bottom of the picture he told me was a bus, and Cat in the Hat, and shapes.

"Mom, I'm a turtle!"

Sometimes this was the only way I could get any packing done. She fell asleep back there once, and stayed asleep for about an hour!

We moved out of our apartment on October 14th. We first stayed with the Perry's for 10 days.

Oh this kid!!

She started pulling herself to standing!

Her brothers are so patient with her.

Goofy kiddos!

Almost overnight, Mason's coloring got so much better! I was so proud of this one!

We went to McClatchy park in Sacramento one day. Why this was the first time I will never know. It's so cool! The boys loved it and cried when we had to leave.

He loves playing with her! Lucky for me!

Our last zoo day! I'm going to miss having the zoo as an option for outings!

Wrestling! Totally normal right?

We were joking about using punctuation as part of a spelling of names, and then Marilyn told us of a time when Roger was on a classified mission when he was in the Air Force. After, Sean asked what his alias' name was and Roger couldn't answer, he was laughing so hard, and pointed to the name on the paper! We all laughed for about 5 minutes, it was so funny!

We love spending time with Dad!

Sean's friend Morrell made us this little guy!

Mason's art and imagination have taken off this year!

Family s'more night!

Spirit week at school, this was superhero day!

And hat day!

After the Perry's, we spent a week at the Foell's house sitting while they were in New York!

Spending time with this booger while Mason is at school is so fun!

Working on Halloween costumes!

Mason ran so well at the jog-a-thon! The kinder laps weren't counted right (some kids got marked 3 times each lap by each person tallying) so we won't know who actually won, but he ran so many laps! 

Luke helping clean the backyard!

I am SO PROUD of how these capes turned out! And the boys absolutely love them! 

Parkers at the Temple: October!

Luke is obsessed with cars, and when we saw this in the parking lot we HAD to go see it!

Mason gets really tired after school some days. He crashed hard watching Sean do stuff on his computer. We tried to wake him up and he fell in a pile on the floor haha! 

My three goofs!

On November 1, we drove up to the Clearlake area to go check it out! Sean's job offer from them came a few days before and we were really excited to go up and see what was what there!

Pulling herself to standing all the time!

We stayed in a little chateau at a local winery. It was beautiful with the changing colors of fall!

We had a picnic lunch before checking out the school and a rental house, and the office where Sean would be working! We went to dinner at a place called The Spot, which was really delicious, and right on Clearlake! So fun!

When we got back to Sacramento, we stayed with the Athey's until we moved up to Hidden Valley Lake. We are so grateful for the hospitality of everyone we stayed with!

Watching scripture videos

Pictures with Cori are often requested

We took the boys out to lunch at Carl's Jr. to thank them for being such troopers with all the back and forth, and moving houses. It was so rough, and very emotional, but we survived!

The smoke was so bad from the Camp fire in Paradise. 

Primary Program day! This cutie had his part memorized, and recited it at lightning speed!

We did an FHE activity with the Toone's; we put together homeless kits with socks, snacks, water, kleenex, and some candy, and passed them out as we saw them to homeless people around town. It was fun and felt good to pass them out to those who needed it!

Snagged a picture of my "letter expert"! When a kid in the class learned all 52 letters (upper and lower case), they got that crown! Mason got his the second week of school I think.

Kids and colanders!

His third time being Star Helper! His paper says, "I like the part where I play with my brother on the floor at the Toone's family's grandma's house."

More awful smoke. This was about 8am. It was also Mason's last day at Golden Empire elementary. School was cancelled on what would have been his last day because of the air quality.

We stopped by the school that Friday though, to say goodbye to Mrs. Randazzo, and pick up the last of Mason's things. He was so shy and refused to smile, but he LOVED her class and was so sad to leave! We miss Mrs

We went with the Toone's to Apple Hill to escape the smoky air. The kids had so much fun climbing on tractors and running around on hay bales! We also went to a cool little museum on one of the farms. Also, those apple cider donuts are AMAZING.

Parkers at the Temple: November

This was our last trip to the temple for the year. We didn't make it every month but we made it twice one month so we made it enough times to cover the months, so that counts right? The best goal we have set for our family!

The boys set to work decorating this little tree without being asked. How kind are they?

Two days before Thanksgiving, we loaded up the moving van and got the keys for our rental house! We totally love it! It's got so much space, a nice yard to run around in, and 3 bedrooms, which means Cori can sleep in her crib and can be in her own room! Hooray!

Thanksgiving! My parents and sister came to visit!

Lightning McQueen slippers from Grandma Jones! And of course, tackles for Jenny! 

Decorating a gingerbread house!

Checking out the park by our house!

It was raining the first few days of school for Mason. The school is right next to the clinic where Sean works, which is awesome!

That Friday, I went to help out with their Christmas prep! Sean hadn't started work so he stayed home with the other kiddos.

We got our tree out and decorated!

I went on a walk while the boys played at the park and THIS VIEW is so spectacular!

Poor sleepy Sean. Cori still struggles with sleep. He's lucky and can pass out anywhere.

Sean's coworkers made these signs for him!

They are pretending to be sloths!

They think they are soooo funny!

There are deer EVERYWHERE in HVL. Which the boys love!

One of the beaches on the lake. There's a playground set and swings and shells to find!

Sean snapped this of me reading to the boys before school.

Decorating (and eating) Christmas cookies! 

The most gorgeous sunset!!!

Waiting to pick up dad from work!

He finds the most fun hiding spots!

Cori LOVES watching Sean play the guitar!

They laughed so hard when I put her in the bath with them!

This kid is a trooper! He had kind of a rough couple first weeks of school. It's gotten a lot better. He's such a good kid, and is learning so much! It is so much fun!

Ready to play outside in the cold weather!

Mason lost his first tooth!! 

"I made a cave!"

This was the coolest thing! We saw it driving home from picking up Sean one night. We had no idea what it was until a few hours later (like 10pm) when we looked it up. It was totally a meteor and apparently you could see it in the Bay Area too!

She LOVES being outside!

We gave Mason $5 to spend at the book fair and this was his choice. He chose well :)

This is also the first time he has shopped for something by himself that he got to choose 100% on his own! I'm so proud to be his mom and watch these fun milestones!