Family Photo Shoot

These are photos from the Ty shoot in December when everyone was here for Christmas. 

taken last summer

Calaveras Big Trees October 2012

This is our trip to Calaveras Big Trees.  We had a picnic by the Stanislaus River, and went to the visitor's, and went on the almost two mile nature walk through the North Grove.
Tony having fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoknroSb50I&feature=plcp
Family walking through a tree tunnel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZA2ILiju4Q&feature=plcp
Tony lead out on the hike, and for the most part would wait for us to catch up.

Tony splashing

Alyssa, Miranda, Sheri, Tony

I'm ready to help Tony down, I couldn't get up

Visitor's Center

Miranda by roots

Tony inside tree

Mother of the Forest, Killed by Bark Harvesting

Through the Tunnel

Interesting root

Our Family Goal: Temple Marriage, Eternal Family

Our goal is to have an eternal family. Sheri and I, are committed to see all of our children married in the temple.   I verified this with her last week.  Including Billy Boy who was stillborn, and two marriages at the Oakland Temple, we  have been successful three times.  Our prayers at home, and at night before bed, center on this theme--that other children will take their chosen partners to the temple.

Consider the primary song:

“Families Can Be Together Forever,” Children’s Songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 188

1. I have a fam’ly here on earth.
They are so good to me.
I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

2. While I am in my early years,
I’ll prepare most carefully,
So I can marry in God’s temple for eternity.

Chorus
Fam’lies can be together forever
Through Heav’nly Father’s plan.
I always want to be with my own family,
And the Lord has shown me how I can.
The Lord has shown me how I can.

Words: Ruth Muir Gardner, 1927–1999. © 1980 IRI
Music: Vanja Y. Watkins, b. 1938. © 1980 IRI
See also Hymns, no. 300.

So our goal is to have those children who have not been to the temple prepare to go, and then go.  This goes for our five-year-old on up to our children who are away at school.   We think about this.  We worry about this.  We pray about this.

Life in Manteca 51: Caswell State Park

After over a year in Manteca, we finally took our first trip to Caswell State Park, which is one of the few places which show our valley like it was over 100 years ago.  There were oaks, wild berries and wild grapes.  We had a picnic, and then a short walk, and then a drive and were close to the confluence of the Stanislaus and San Joaquin Rivers where we saw a group of Alpacas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmTbCyLquTQ

Christmas Planning 2011

There are so many things going on this Christmas Season that planning for Christmas is somewhat hectic.  There has to be a balance between getting the mood of the season, and doing too much.  This Sunday is our Stake Choir music festival.  The choir has been rehearsing for the past couple months, and it is going to be a fun program.  Additionally we are singing as a family.  It should be fun.  We also have a couple of ward parties, relief society party and  Ward Christmas party.  I think we will be singing at each of these as well.

The festivities at the Temple start tomorrow.  http://www.templehillevents.com/Full_Details.html
Every year they have presentations about every night at Temple Hill.  It is all free.  This year is going to be especially fun.  A coworker's daughter is in the "Nutcracker" presentation. There is another Christ centered ballet at the temple, "Behold, the Gift."  Zion's Choir also performs at temple hill, but we are thinking of catching them at the Palo Alto Creche exhibit.  The day they perform there is also a marionette show.  There will also be lots of creche exhibits.  I think it is this exhibit that motivated Sheri to start collecting creche exhibits.  We will have them about the house this weekend.  It will be fun putting them into our new house and seeing how they fit.  We still have our first creche scene that my sister fired for us and gave us for our wedding many years ago.  There is also a creche exhibit in Modesto, but we want to hear the choir, and this gives us a chance to do two things at the same time.

There is also the annual Christmas party that my sister puts on.  It is a fun evening and includes us, my sister's family and Mark's brother's family--and any other family members who are in the area.  We are wondering a bout doing a family home evening sing-along.  In the past we have gone to these at the Ortons or the Struks in Cupertino.  We are wondering if we want to continue the tradtiton and invite a few families over for a musical evening. 

Family Photos

Since we were together (first time ever since Tony's adoption) we decided to do family photos to update grandma's wall.  Tyler took the pictures, he has a remote camera so he could be included in the family photos.