Happy Halloween!

VIDEO: How am I gonna get all these little nerds into my mouth?

PHOTOS: Back in Santa Clarita again, we attended the ward's Trunk or Treat activity. Our super-buff Superman and our teeny tiny Angel granted their presence here at the event. Fun was an understatement as the kids (and us) enjoyed award-winning chili, pranced around in our costumes, won prizes from playing games, and how could we forget? scored well with lots of candy from the parking lot trick or treating. There were plenty of people there- about twice as many as we see come to church on sundays. I'd say we all barely fit into the cultural hall. We think we'll make sure to be there for the 2008 spectacular as well. Happy Halloween to all!

Update

So, Alyssa and her friend had to drive on i-15 and it was closed. They had to take an alternative route. In total they drove about 300 miles last night and ended up getting to her parent's house at 6 am this morning.

It seems that the fire nearest us is under control and the roads are open again. We should be heading back to our home sometime today.

Evacuated

Not the type of blog that we would like to be sending, but in case you were wondering, we have been evacuated due to fires. I'll spare the details for now, but we are at Alyssa's parent's house. Well the kids and I and another dad and his kids are at the O'Bryant's. Alyssa and her friend (the Mom of the other family) were together and got caught on the other side of the 14 freeway and couldn't get back. They had to take an alternative route to her parents and I-15 is closed so they have had some trouble getting here, but they are on their way.

If you want info on the closest fire that finally pushed us out please go to: http://cbs2.com/firewatch/local_story_296015810.html.

Soledad Canyon road is about 4 blocks from our place. However there is a very dry large river bed that separates us from Soledad Canyon Road. It is the main street in Santa Clarita. Sand Canyon road is one exit up from our exit and we take this exit to go to church.

I commute on the 14 freeway and it is closed north and south bound. There are 4 other fires in the Santa Clarita area. With all the fires in LA and San Diego, 240,000 people had been evacuated as of 6 pm tonight.

We will keep you posted.

First Boyfriend?

Ella has a friend Ryan, here where we live who she loves to follow around and giggle when she says his name. She calls him "Ry" and a large grin always follows. He's actually almost four years old. The video tells it all! I guess she goes for the older guys!

At the end of the video, Ryan must have put her lost in thought, because she ignored me suddenly. The video would be better with the end part cut out. But my battery just died on my camera, so maybe I'll edit it in the future. For the meantime, the video was too cute to leave out!

Pictures and Videos of Jace and Ella playing in CA

Jace likes to do any task different from the norm.

Oh, just look at my face! Someone take pity on me. I am truly a victim!

Every day Jace leads us on a scooter ride down the street to the playground. Ella also enjoys sitting in her stroller for this short walk. At the playground, Ella never fails to make her Mommy gasp in fear as she shows off her latest tricks and stunts. She is more daring and dangerous than Jace ever was. (Don't tell him that.) She's quite our little hazard.

A video of Ella jabbering as she walks up the steps.

Where we live in Santa Clarita, CA

For those of you who feel that we have gone who knows where without seeing where we live in Santa Clarita (LA) California, here are some pictures of the neighborhood we moved into. It may look confusing. The builidings consist of 8 townhomes within. So here's some pictures of the front and back of our building, and the street we live on. The last picture is our col-de-sac where our garage is. It's nice to have a place for Jace and Ella to ride their their bikes without any traffic. It is here where I enjoy sitting in my comfy lawn chair. Great relaxation for me!

Undecided

So, what should I be? Superman, Spiderman, a witch, or (heaven-forbid) a fairy??

Yes, We Are Alive Still!

Yes, we are still alive! :) This has been a busy 6 months and we have lost ourselves from the blog world for a while. This is a quick recap of the last 6 months (we haven't blogged since May until now), but hopefully this will give a clue as to what we've been up to. Two weeks ago we moved to the Los Angeles area and shortly we will be updating again to show you where we live. For now, these final pictures show, 1) how excited I was to finally be able to do Ella's hair in french braids, and 2) Jace and Ella at the first fall football game of this year. Watch for more to come...

SEPT 2007

This month Nick's parents came home from their two year mission in Australia. We greeted them at the airport. Last time we saw them, Jace wasn't even old enough to be in nursery and Ella was just in her first trimester.

AUGUST 2007 Camping with O'Bryant's in Jackson Hole

We took a trip with Alyssa's family to Jackson Hole. There we stayed with the kids in tents for the first time, and roasted lots of marshmallows. Alyssa's Dad also turned 50 and had a surprise party there. Jace had his first experience with a waterslide and loved it, regardless of what his facial expression shows!

JULY 2007 Independence Day

Jace and Ella enjoyed time with twelve year old, Uncle Tom on the Fourth of July. Here they are cleaning up after participating with a lot of fireworks set off from Tom's backyard.

June 2007 Fun at Newport Beach

During the summer, Alyssa decided to get some specialized treatment for headaches. Since the center was close to Grandma and Grandpa O'Bryant, housing wasn't a problem and the kids enjoyed extra time with their grandparents. One week Rachelle came to visit from Houston, Texas. Here we are spending time with her and also cousin Avery!

MAY 2007 Jace Turned Three!

Cosmo, the BYU Cougar granted his presence at Jace's birthday party in May. Jace was very surprised! He knew there would be a special guest, but he had been thinking it would either be Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. When he saw the quest, he decided that Cosmo was even better!