Cousin's Camp!

 
Well, Brooke threw another awesome bash this year. Cousins camp was a three day adventure at the good ol' Thompson Ranch. The kids camped in tents pitched in the yard, they made crafts, went on a bike ride, starred in "Cousin Idol", and splashed in the water until they just couldn't splash anymore. There were home made slushies, fresh popped pop corn, and lots of licorice. Yes... they are spoiled, but you are only a kid once. (Well, maybe twice if you're a Thompson girl, we don't really get the whole growing up hype...)

Do a Little Dance...

 
Sophie and I had our annual dance recital for 5678 Dance Studio. Sophia danced to a fun Disney song that we had never heard before... but it was all about Mickey on guitar and Donald Duck on bass. Pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. I danced to "He's a Tramp" from the Lady and the Tramp soundtrack. It was just the two of us this year so we had a fun cozy time hanging out together back stage. I love my little Sophie girl.

Thompson Family Reunion 2011!

Uncle Brad was a super star for this year's family reunion because he put together a group package that allowed all of us to gather in DISNEYLAND! What a fantastic opportunity! We met at our hotel for a pool party on Monday afternoon and then ventured over to Medieval Times for dinner. We were assigned the green knight and with our large energetic group cheered louder than anyone else there! We spent Tuesday at Disneyland where we met up for a few shows. Wednesday morning we gathered for our family photo-op and then spent the rest of the day enjoying some more fun in the "Happiest Place on Earth." This year's reunion was a blast as always. When it comes to Thompsons any time is a fun time... Disneyland was just a HUGE perk! We have a fabulous family and I hope that we keep up these reunions FOREVER!

Easter!

 
Easter was quite an event this year! Laurie was down from Mammoth, and Rachel was up from Fresno... so it was a PARTY! Brooke baked some amazing pies and cream-filled cupcakes and despite the kitchen being under construction Meredith and dad put together a delicious dinner of tri-tip and salad. When it came time for the egg hunt we were suprised with a double rainbow and the little cousins started singing the famous viral You Tube Double Rainbow song. We stayed late into the night just hanging out and being together. It turned into a giant sleep-over for most of the cousins. A day at the ranch is always fun, but a day at the ranch with good food, awesome dessert, and all of my sisters... now that is heaven. I think I've mentioned this before; but let me just say it again: I LOVE BEING A THOMPSON!

Trenton Jay

 
February 18th, 2011... Little Trenton Jay Moore joined our Thompson Clan. While I was visiting Laurie and Eric I grabbed little Trenton and Laurie and headed upstairs to a window for some quick pictures. If had more room and time perhaps I could have gotten more... but I'm happy with what I DID get. I caught those beautiful icy blue eyes... nothing better!

A Trip to Mammoth Lakes...

In December; Laurie and Eric moved to the mountains. We've really missed having them around. The trip to their house should only be about a three hour drive, but due to seasonal road closures and snow, the trip is about 5 hours this time of year. We've been looking forward to the birth of thier son and the opportunity to make the trip up to see them. On April 17th Trenton was blessed by his father and so we finally were able to make the trip up to see them and participate in the blessing. We really enjoyed the visit. Eric and Laurie's house is an adorable cabin with a creek and pond in the yard sitting right at the base of the snowy mountains. Looking out from their balcony is a spectaular view of the lake. It's wonderful to see them doing so well and feeling so settled. They had a long road to make it to this point, but here they are, all together and moving forward with the next chapter of their lives. Congratulations guys! We love you!

Bodecious Bodega...

Michael has been working on a beach house remodel in Bodega Bay for the past few months. He will go up to the job site and stay for a few days, then return home. On this particular week he got back home late Wednesday only to learn on Thursday that he needed to return to Bodega on Friday. He invited the kids and I to join him and so we quickly packed up and were on the road by 6:00am Friday morning. After Mike had done what he needed to do we headed over to the beach to catch low tide. We hiked around the beach for a couple of hours and enjoyed watching Jett experience sand for the first time. We stayed at a great little bargain hotel and the kids splashed around in their small heated pool. We went out to dinner and tried some sea food dishes. We were back in our room by 6:00 and totally beat from a long and fun day. We laid on the beds in our pj's and watched cartoons until we fell asleep. Early the next day we hit the tide pools one more time and then slowly drove down the coast toward San Francisco. We drove over the Golden Gate and then parked our car and hiked up to Fort Point. Fort Point is an amazing brick building that the Golden Gate Bridge is built over. The wind was so strong at the top of the fort that the kids could actually lean into it and not fall over! On the way back to the car we discovered the House of Air. We went inside to find out what it was and found a huge gymnasium filled with wall to wall trampolines. Trampolines even lined the walls! There was a special section just for training where you could be tied into harnesses and learn how to do flips. We watched the jumpers for a bit and then finally left the city. Mike and I are thinking that we might want to return and try that place out some time. It was nice to experience some of the good that San Francisco has to offer. We returned home tired but happy. It was a great impromptu vacation.

Happy Birthday Brenden!

March 29, 2011 - Brenden officially turned 9 years old. We have a tradition of taking the birthday kiddo out to the dinner of their choice and a movie. They always choose Red Robin because of the free ice cream sundae and birthday serenade. So, this year as we ate at Red Robin Brenden got the extra bonus of having Red himself come over to our table. Jett wasn't so sure about the giant red bird. After dinner we headed over to the local Oakdale Theater and saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2. When we got home we sang to Brenden and then all had a piece of his "donut" shaped cake. It made for a fun evening out with our little family. I love you Brenden. More than you could possibly ever know...

Spring Has Sprung!

I am a simple girl and so simple things bring a smile to my face. Spring is one of those things. I love the flowers, the smell of the air, the feeling of renewal, and the photo opportunities! I did a little photo session with my kids at the ranch among the blossoms, and then capitalized on some great weather and took the kids out again but this time to Knights Ferry. My kids were great troopers for me this year and let me take all of the pictures that I wanted. We stomped around Knights Ferry for over 4 hours. The only thing that made us stop our expedition was the dead battery in my camera. After our little session we headed down to the Knights Ferry Creamery for some delicous hand scooped ice cream. Did I mention that I LOVE this time of year?!

Gotta Love Grandmother!

Paris, Brenden, and Sophie's school had a "Read Around" in honor of Dr. Suess's birthday. Grandparents were invited to come and share a story with their grandchildren's class. Grandmother (of course) jumped on the opportunity to participate in such an event and was happy to visit our little school on the hill. She read "The Little Engine That Could" to the two classes and was such a good sport that she even wore the Dr. Suess hat! I just love this woman! How lucky we are to have her!

Brenden's Bash!

Brenden turned 9 years old. Only 10 more years and my little man will leave my nest to serve a mission. I'm happy and sad about that. Because March is always such a busy month his party was decided on and squeezed in at the last minute. Given such short notice this year I was not sure how many people would be able to make it... but to my surprise almost everyone invited joined us for the fun! Brenden wanted a "Solar System" theme this year, so I had to get a little creative. There was a 20 foot banner hung on the garage door for the kids to doodle and finger paint on. (that was a hit) There was a "space string" war. (okay, okay, so it was silly string, but I had to stick to the theme) There was a water balloon toss, and to top it all off, there was a giant alien pinata. I didn't even mention the nature hike and BBQ! There is no doubt that this was our biggest party yet. The weather was perfect and I couldn't have been happier with the turn out. Thank you to my fabulous friends Rickie and Nick who acted as my personal party assistants and all of my beautiful family for making this day as wonderful as it was!

Thompson Faces...

So many showed up to Brenden's party... so many more than we had hoped for! These are just a few pictures of some fantastic Thompson faces. I love this family!

Vegas Baby!

 
Okay... not really. Mike, the kids, and I all took a little road trip to Arizona and made a couple of stops along the way. The entire purpose of the trip was to visit our good friends the Ostergars. They are a wonderful older couple that Mike connected with while on his mission and he has stayed in contact with them ever since. We left early Thursday morning and arrived in Las Vegas at about 7pm that night. I took some pictures of the lights and then we had some dinner and fell in our beds exhausted. The next morning we were up early, checked out of our hotel and continued our trip on to Arizona where we spent the entire day with the Ostergars. That evening we continued even further until we arrived at St. George UT. We spent about two hours at the St. George Temple and really enjoyed the Spirit we felt there. (I of course got a little camera happy) The next day was Saturday and we spent that day driving around Zion National Park. We had planned on doing some hiking but the snow prevented us from getting out of the car very much. That night we returned to Las Vegas and spent some time at that temple too. (again... I got a little camera happy) We woke up the next day and prepared for the long drive back home. We took in a free circus act, walked around the Venetian and watched the gondolas, and set out on the road finally at about 6pm. It was a great little escape and a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together as a family!

Jacob Turns 2!

 
It's hard to believe that our little Jakie is turning two years old already! We all gathered at Brooke and Jared's house to celebrate this great occasion. The party was done in an adorable farm theme. From the decor to the cake, it was down-home farm fun! We ate off pie tins, drank out of mason jars, and watched the kids frolic. The food was delicious and Brooke decorated yet another amazing cake! We all had a great time and it seems that by the smile on little Jacob's face... he was pretty pleased too!

Families Are Forever...

 
 
February 4, 2011... McKay Richard DeWoody is sealed for all eternity to his family. The Thompson and DeWoody families gathered at the Fresno temple to witness the sealing of this sweet family. Afterward we had lunch together and took some pictures on the temple grounds. The weather was perfect and The Spirit was strong. We are so very blessed to have McKay as part of this family. It is impossible to picture a life without him. We love this little man...

Bonus Baby!

 
December 8, 2010: MayLynn ChayLea is welcomed with open arms into the DeWoody family. Miracles and blessings brought this sweet gift to our family. At the start of 2010, Jared and Rachel were preparing for an infant son... little did they know that by the year's end they would have two sweet babies to love! Welcome May... we love you so very much!

Better Jetter Turns One...

 
Well, this day came much faster than I wanted it to, but here it is... my baby boy is one year old. Having a January birthday is harder to celebrate than I anticipated. Between the finish of Christmas and the beginning of school... I could hardly fit it in. We had family over and celebrated quietly with some spaghetti and chocolate cake. We gave Jett his own slice of cake. He began by taking a small taste with his finger and by the end was using both fists. Jett is such a precious gift to this family. I can not believe that I ever questioned whether or not to have another baby... he is living proof that Heavenly Father knows best. These are some things about Jett that I don't ever want to forget:
1.) Any time mommy or daddy walk by him he begins to grunt so that we will come and give him attention.
2.) He LOVES to experiment with sound. He makes a sound with his mouth that sounds like "tickle tickle tickle."
3.) He hums and sings when he really enjoys what he's eating.
4.) He army crawled until he was about 11 months old and then began crawling the "normal way."
5.) When he smiles his true smile, he crinkles his nose and slowly blinks his beautiful eyes.
6.) He has one solitary curl on the back of his head. I love it.
7.) He NEVER sleeps through the night. We wakes up at least two times and wants a sippy cup of milk and a cuddle with mommy.
8.) In the morning he rolls over, pulls up to Mike, slaps his face and says: "da da."
9.) He LOVES his brother and sisters. Any one of them can get him to belly laugh.
10.) He loves animals. Dogs and cats make him so happy that he almost goes crazy.
11.) He can scale the stairs in 30 seconds if you let him.
12.) He rubs his feet together all of the time. (The way most people rub their hands together when they're cold)
13.) He has an adorable blue "mongolian spot" on his upper left bum cheek.
14.) He dances whenever a song with a solid beat plays...
15.) He wants to be everywhere I am... and coincidentally, I want to be everywhere he is...

Wanna Be's...

 
This Christmas the kids have requested from Santa Claus a set of drums and an acoustic guitar. In anticipation of these hopeful gifts the kids created a band and dressed up to be rockstars. They looked so cute that I just had to stop them long enough for a few quick pictures. As it turned out... Santa did bring them their coveted instruments and they have spent many hours upstairs "rocking out." (For the record... Sophia did NOT get an entire drum set, instead she received a much smaller digital drum set.) Santa probably knew better...

Turkey, Trikes, and Thompsons...

 
This year we gathered at Uncle Brad and Aunt Elizabeth's house for yet another fantastic year of turkey and stuffing. The next day we went on our annual bike ride. The sun was out and the weather was great. Afterward we ate left-overs at Brooke's house and then went to the movies to see "Tangled." It was another wonderful holiday like only the Thompsons know how to do it!

November...

 
Well, November flew by. Soccer season ended, Paris turned 10, Mike and I celebrated our 12th anniversary, Paris had a picture that she drew chosen to be featured in a calandar sold at the Knights Ferry Salmon Festival, and Thanksgiving was fun and delicious. I guess that about sums it up.

Yellow...

 
Every day as I drove the kids to the soccer fields I passed a patch of yellow flowers that just begged for me to take pictures in. So, one evening I gathered all the "yellow stuff" I could find in our closets and assembled some outfits for the kids. On our way to soccer we stopped by the flower patch and had a mini photo session. As it turns out, the flowers looked lush and beautiful because they were growing in dairy sludge. By the time we were finished we all smelled like fertilizer and were covered to our knees in dairy water and mud. The kids changed into their soccer clothes in the car and arrived to practice shoeless. The pictures were worth it... but I'm not sure that I'll be able to convince the kids to try it again next fall.

Sophie the Earth Bender

 
Okay... so maybe I'm playing favorites, but I was so dumbfounded by how amazing Sophia looked in her Toph costume that I had to make a post dedicated just to her. For those of you that don't know the series... Toph is this tough 12 year old blind girl that can manipulate earth and rock through martial arts moves. Because she's blind she feels vibrations through her feet and that is how she sees, so she NEVER wears shoes. Sophia fits her character perfectly. She's a quick-witted little tom boy. I loved watching Sophia perform her earth bending moves in her Toph costume. She played the part perfectly, but even more so, she looked beautiful. Who knew that a little black bob would look so amazing on my baby girl?

The Last Air Bender... Thompson Style!

 
It has been decided for months now that our family would dress as characters from our favorite cartoon series The Last Air Bender for Halloween. Paris was Katara, the water bender. Sophie was Toph the earth bender. I sewed her entire costume and just made up the pattern. I was surprised by how well it came out! Brenden was Aang the Last Air bender. Jett was dressed as Momo the flying bat leimer. I of course went as Azula, the evil (but super awesome) fire bender. My costume was actually a geisha outfit that I found on clearance, so there were a couple of Halloween events that I attended in my "geisha get-up." I had such a blast dressing up with the kids. This was one of my favorite Halloweens of all time. We've never had a family-themed Halloween before... now I'm wondering what we can pull off next year!?