JANUARY 2014

JANUARY 2014

VEGAS:  

We always have to visit Vegas on the way back from Utah.  Here is the Paris and the Bellagio fountain.

PICTURES WITH A MINION:

SITTING IN FRONT OF THE PALAZZO FOUNTAIN:  We took this same picture a few years ago.

PLAYING AT MOONLIGHT BEACH PLAYGROUND:  Elaina and Seth play well together.

AT THE GRAND DEL MAR: For my 45th birthday.

NEIL AND I AFTER DINNING AT THE AMAYA:  It is wonderful that my birthday always falls on restaurant week.

 THE ANNUAL COMMEMORATION OF THE MORMON BATTALION ENTERING SAN DIEGO:  Elaina and Seth stand in front of the flagpole in Old Town San Diego.

AUNT KELLY'S TRAIN:    It's my kids' favorite Christmas decoration.  Kelly has to keep it out long past Christmas.

DECEMBER 2013

December 2013

FAMILY PHOTO:  Failed attempt number 62, still produced no positive results.  We just can't get everyone to look at the camera at the same time, so we chose the picture the adults looked good in.

AUBREY LOVES CLIMBING TREES

DECEMBER NIGHTS,  BALBOA PARK: An old woman gifted Seth this snowman spoon.  If she only knew how much Seth loved it.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT THE SAN DIEGO MORMON TEMPLE:  Another failed attempt to get everyone looking at the camera.

SETH'S FIRST CONCERT:  Seth started pre-school this year.  He loves his teacher Mrs. Craven, but he seems a little nervous to sing in front of people.  The antlers were great.  It made him easy to spot in a crowd. 

CALIFORNIA SNOW:  If you go to the mall in Tememcula and are standing outside the escalators at 8pm, snow falls.  It looks like snow, it falls like snow, but it is made of suds.

AN UNEXPECTED SUNSET:  (above) We made a bad turn on the way to the boat parade and got to see a sunset that looked like molten lava.  Not all bad turns are bad.  (below) SAN DIEGO CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS

CHRISTMAS EVE:  Seth and his cousin Thomas had fun together roaming around the Americana mall in Glendale, CA

AUBREY IN FRONT OF THE FOUNTAIN AT THE GLENDALE AMERICANA MALL

Grandma and Grandpa Ricks at the Americana Mall with the clock tower in the background.

ELAINA THE CONDUCTOR:  Elaina pretended to conduct the fountain at the Americana Mall and was so enthusiastic that she fell in.

SETH AS SPIDERMAN ON CHRISTMAS MORNING:  Superhero toys and clothes were Seth's favorite this year.

AUBREY AS ARIEL ON CHRISTMAS MORNING:  The girls both got princess nightgowns for Christmas.

THE LUXOR, LAS VEGAS.  We always stop at a different hotel on our way to Utah for our post-Christmas trip.  The kids love the different bizarre decorations such as this colorful sphinx.

AUBREY "I CAN'T MOVE MY ARMS" AT CHRISTMAS VILLAGE, OGDEN, UTAH:  We had to bundle our kids up like the little boy in "Christmas Story" to keep them warm.

2ND CHRISTMAS IN SANDY:  Aubrey approves

UNCLE PAUL, AUNT LISA, AND COUSIN MADDIE

"DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOW MAN?"  Someone built Olaf so I had to take a picture of him on my jog.












TEMPLE SQUARE:  I served my mission here and it looks fabulous at Christmas time.

NOVEMBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

PALM SPRINGS:  The Cheesecake Factory and lots of fun.  Here Aubrey, Elains, and I stand in front of a BBQ pig restaurant.

DESERT HOT SPRINGS:  8 pools, all different temperatures.  A great place to go swimming, in the winter time.  Unfortunately Aubrey (below)  thought that a person can go swimming any time of year, after visiting this place.

JOSHUA TREE:  a place I use to go climbing as a single person.  Elaina and Seth had fun rock climbing with dad on Veteran's day.

AUBREY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY:  We had cupcakes, friends, and family over.  Too bad I got my cholesterol checked after this party, it went up 30 points.

HIPPY DAY AT SCHOOL:  Elaina had fun dressing up for a wacky day at school.

TAKING THE CHRISTMAS FAMILY PHOTO:  It took 60 pictures and we never got it quite right.  This picture is what most of them were like.

NEIL MOVES BUILDINGS:  His old building got shut down and he moved to the high rise building.  The good news is on a clear day, he can see the ocean.

JOGGING THANKS GIVING DAY:  We visited a lake up the street from us and burnt some calories before the big meal.

THANKS GIVING WITH THE MISSIONARIES:  On the left Sister Cavareta (I had fun feeding her weird and different foods, and listening to her diplomatic responses to the food)  Kelly, Keith, sister Hanely (a great rapper) and Sister Berg ( the New Yorker).

MURIETTA OPENING CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL:  The worst  I've lost Aubrey so far was here.  She pointed at the big clock over city hall and said "clock, clock, Chicken"  What?  OH "cluck, cluck, chicken"  I that was pretty clever.

OCTOBER 2013

OCTOBER 2013

 Celebrating Seth's Birthday. It was the super man year,  Seth watched the 1942 superman episodes over and over again, and Kelly gave him superman pajamas. 

Little Italy with the Mendeses and dancing to Italian songs in the street.

The San Diego Safari park, Seth makes a cute bat.  Elaina tends the ostrich eggs.

The best family picture we took all year was at Peltzer Farms pumpkin patch.  Below Elaina, Aubrey, and Seth take their first pony ride.

We went to the Zion Lutheren Harvest festival first, and Seth went down this slide over and over again.  Elaina got her face painted again, and Aubrey took a nap in the car.  Below Katie joined us at the Monster Mash at Bonsall elementary school.  Katie is Sherlock homes, Seth is superman, Elaina is Mireda from Brave, and Aubrey is Ariel.

Halloween party at Laurie's house.  This is Helena her neighbor.  We also got to trick or treat to our local neighbors.  We had to drive between houses, the drive ways are so long.  Below trick or treating at the Trunk or treat at the Fallbrook building.  Seth had to change costumes because of an accident, so he switched to batman.