This is how we do it

I love to see the temple...
This weekend we spent a fun Saturday in the East Bay hills above Oakland. First, we had lunch and window shopped in a fun pedestrian-friendly neighborhood called Piedmont. Next we headed over to the Oakland temple. The Oakland Temple is in a really great location up on a hill overlooking the bay. The sun was out and the grounds looked so pretty. I couldn't help but take a few pictures of my cute family in their green outfits. We watched a movie and looked around the visitors center, stopped by Seagull bookstore and the distribution center and then headed back across the bay to our ward St. Patrick's Day party. They had a ward talent show and Madison sang a few songs with the rest of the primary and then did a ballet number with a few little girls in her class.

















Today Ronnie stayed home with Bex while I took Madison to church. Beckham was up all night with a cough and congestion. I think he is getting sick but he is also cutting his top two teeth right now so that doesn't help. I taught the sharing time in primary, and lets just say I am glad I don't have to do it for another 3 months! It is hard enough to try and control 13 7-year-olds each week during my class let alone 30+ 7-12 year olds during sharing time. AHHHH!

We had a fun week watching basketball games with friends and youth in our ward. Ronnie invited the young men over for the BYU vs. Xavier game; too bad we lost.

Other happenings this week included some family work outs at the gym, the always adventurous trip to Costco (that usually includes the whole family since we all love Costco), and babysitting. There are a few babies in the ward that are almost the same age as Beckham and I have baby sat for two of them. They are cute little girls and Beckham has loved playing with them. It is funny how different he is with them compared to his other little 9 month old friend Max. Him and Max crawl all over each other and try to eat each others faces. But with the ladies, Bex is a little smoother. He will crawl over to them and smile and laugh until they reach out to get him - he just loves it. We have also been pulling out all of Madison's old baby toys for Beckham's enjoyment. He loves the Leap Frog learning table just as much as Madison did. He has already pulled it over on himself a few times but gets right back up to try again. He has also discovered the drawers in the bathroom and kitchen. He loves pulling them out and eating the knobs. Speaking of eating, we have new breakthroughs each week with this kid. He still could care less about baby food but he is starting to enjoy some table food. He loves his Cheerios's and Gerber vegetable wagon wheels. They look like honey comb cereal, but as Ronnie will tell you, they don't taste anything like it. Bex also likes cooked carrots and his sippy cups with water. So he is making progress. As Ronnie says, "baby steps Jodee, baby steps."

Madison has been enjoying visits from the Leprechauns this week at school. Each day she tells me a new story about how tricky they are and how the Leprechauns mess up the classroom when the kids go out to play. So, I decided to continue it at home and I left her a note from the Leprechauns that she found after our ward party. They had followed her home from school and hidden a surprise under her pillow. They were so tricky and even placed her giraffe "upslide" down on the bed. (and no, the picture is not upside down, it is Madison showing me how the leprechauns put fluffy the giraffe "upslide down.") She is so cute telling the story to everyone who will listen. She gets so excited as she relates all the tricky things they have done. I just love her imagination. She is so fun to talk to. I love hearing all about school, kids at the YMCA, church, and especially her plans for the future. The latest is her planned "play date" with Kylie this summer. Yeah, they live in Arizona, I am not sure if that still counts as a play date.

I hope that winter is ending for all of you out there. If not, come to visit us in California, it has been so great, in the high 70's and sunny! We can't wait for Nana Blanchard to get here next weekend and spend some time with us; it will be fun.