California Lighthouses and Long Beach Harbor

I had a work trip to Los Angeles, and got to see the four lighthouses in that area that I haven't seen on previous trips.

Point Vicente Lighthouse


















Point Fermin Lighthouse
















Los Angeles Harbor (Angel's Gate) Lighthouse
Long Beach Harbor Lighhtouses

I took a harbor cruise to get better views of these lighthouses, but still were fairly far away.  I did learn a lot of cool things about Long Beach Harbor.  It was also awesome to get a view of the lighthouses from the airplane as we were taking off.

Spring Break 2016

We were sad that Joseph was sick and unable to join us, but we had a Good Time nonetheless!

November Birthdays

Birthday presents, Inside Out, Cheesecake, Repeat.
We love these kids!  Jonas is now 14, and Joseph is super close to being 16!

Happy Halloween

We had lot of fun for Halloween.  So grateful for our ward family!

October means Halloween is coming

This is the first time we've been able to do Halloween dress up together.  Joseph was a "handsome devil" for his youth dance.  The rest of the kids and I went to a Halloween party at a friends' house.  Jonas wore his robe and brought his pillow and was a couch potato.  Hyrum put a plastic pumpkin in the head of his coat, and was a pumpkin head.  Jenna was a vampire and Joy a witch.  It was so fun to be with the kids and have an excuse to dress up.  They were all so excited and it was great to see their personalities show.  I'm so grateful to be their step-mother and the opportunities I have to be a part of their life.

In my dress-up suitcase I also had a "big head" costume.  The kids got such a kick out of it, and our friend "Patricia" came to visit and dance several times over the weekend.

DC

This time of year is so nice, especially when you can find parking in Downtown DC!  We were able to park right outside our primary destination - the National Gallery of Art.  We got to see the one Leonardo da Vinci painting in the United States while helping Jonas with a requirement towards his art merit badge.  We got a family picture with Pope Francis, well a cardboard cutout of Pope Francis. And we got some good exercise in the outdoor section of the Botanical Gardens.

Columbus Day Weekend

Some other pictures from Columbus Day Weekend from our time with the family.

Dutch Oven Dinner

Saturday we had a Dutch Oven.  We wished we would have more space to invite even more friends.  All the kids were great at helping out.  The food was awesome, and the activity to make edible necklaces went over pretty well as well.

September Trip Wrap-up

We really enjoyed our fall trip to Maine.  It's kind of nice to know that we have this tradition of September trips, and we plan to keep it up.

Joseph Smith Birthplace

James' grandparents served several missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  One of their missions was in Sharon, Vermont to the Joseph Smith Birthplace site.  It was humbling to go there and be reminded of the sacrifice of Joseph Smith in bringing to pass the restoration of the gospel.  There is a memorial that stands 38 1/2 feet tall, representing a foot for each year of Joseph Smith's life.  It is one continuous piece of polished granite, one of the largest memorials of it's type in the world. 

I know that my Savior lives.  I know that he hears and answers prayers.  Joseph Smith was reading in James 1:5 and was impressed that he needed to pray to ask God which church he should join.  We also need to pray, study, and ask.