Kindergarten Thanksgiving Program and Grandparent Lunch

It was such a cute program. They sang like 20 Thanksgiving songs. Yah, do you know 20 Thanksgiving songs? I don't...didn't! These kids did an amazing job! Then they had a "feast" for all the parents and grandparents who came to watch the program. I did tape the show, but it is way too long to post it here.

Grandma Merrill and Melanie

Today's Garage Sale Finds!

OK, I am so guilty! I love to garage sale! I see lots of my friends at them, so I know I am not the only one. These were my two big finds today! Yeah, they look brand new hah? I found the girls bike first. The lady wanted $20 for it. Because it was used like once, I agreed! It is the perfect fit for Melanie. The boys bike was $10. Yes, Spencer has a bike, but wanted more of the BMX type so he could do tricks. I know spoiled! I will be giving his bike to charity ok! Chelsea is ready for a bigger bike, so Melanie gave her bike to Chelsea and we got this one for Melanie. We got both bikes for $30. Can't beat that! We also found a brand new pair of rollerblades for Melanie for $3. I saved myself LOTS of money today! Yeah, for other people's cludder! I won't say junk, because clearly, this was NOT junk!

Enjoying another 80 degree day in November!

The weather here in CA has been crazy! It is 80 degrees in November? I don't know if we will actually get a winter this year or not. I am so ready for some cold weather though! I want to wear sweaters and cuddle up in blankets. I guess we will have to go to Utah to do that! Today, we took advantage of the nice weather and played outside all afternoon. The kids just love playing with their friends! Here are some pictures of them hanging outside.
The "Fallbrook Boys" riding their bikes up the street. Yeah, I know...a bike is for one person! But, they were having so much fun! At least Spencer is riding the right way and has a helmet on! Just kidding, I made them stop, when I saw this...after I got a picture of-course.
Chelsea with her great smile! She was just loving being outside today!
Yeah, this is the walnut tree! As kids we used to climb the huge acorn tree in front of our house. The Acorn tree was about five times larger then this tree. The acorn tree died and it was removed years ago. (Yes, Kingsford girls...this is true!!) Melanie loves to climb and has been dying to climb a tree. Today she decided she would climb the walnut tree. It is not the sturdiest tree in the world, as you can tell by the size of it's trunk! I have to tell you, I was a little scared for her. Those of you that know Melanie, know that you can't really talk her out of anything when she wants to do it. We are all good, we have insurance!
She was so happy to be sitting up there! Anyone want to come visit?
We could hit the beach in December?

Rocket Derby

Tonight was the famous cub Scout "rocket derby". Spencer and Dan worked REALLY hard every night for the past week and a half on this rocket. It started out as a piece of block just like the car derby blocks. They had to shape it, sand it, prime it, paint it and then decorate it. If it was me making it, the rocket would have taken one night, but we won't go there! Oh, and it wouldn't look this good either! Dan is an Architect and HIS...oops...Spencer's rocket was their "project this week. I am so glad it is a daddy and sons project! Anyways, the rocket won every race but one, when it was disqualified for going so fast it flew off the track. The one loss knocked it to 4th place. Yah, doesn't make sense to us either, but that is ok because it did get the award for BEST DESIGN and to Dan (being a designer) that was just as good as winning. Grandma Clinger was able to come watch, which was so important to Spencer. Spencer had a blast and loved watching all the rockets compete! I videoed every race , so here are just a few!

Skip Roping!

Melanie loves jump roping!
Well, day her friend showed her how to skip rope.
She loved it! She now NEEDS one of her own.

Soccer Champ!

Melanie had a fabulous soccer session! This was Melanie's first year, but she quickly caught on to the game fast! She was blessed to be on a team with ALL aggressive girls (just like Melanie herself). Dan and Josh Pace (Melanie's best buddy's dad) coached her team. She is actually only U6, which means they are not supposed to be competitive or keep score and there are NO winners. Well, our girls wouldn't have any of that! They kept score "secretly" and they knew who won each and every game...them. It was so funny to watch! These girls wouldn't let the other team get inches of the goal. We actually felt bad for some of the other teams. These little girls were really trying their hardest. Our girls each were equally good and each scored the same amount of points each game. Next year will be "the real thing"...well, kind of! We are trying to figure out how to rig the teams next year, so they all get on the same team together again. Any ideas how to do that...Marrianne or Stephanie? I know you gals are pros! TO SEE LOTS MORE PICTURES AND A SLIDE SHOW, click here.

Prop 8 Facts

As most of you know, the stuff going on here in CA due to Prop 8 has been pretty crazy! My parents are witnessing it all first hand on temple grounds! Here is a picture taken by the media. As my mom was telling me about what was going on, she had excitement and sadness in her voice. She told me about this picture that she saw the media take. I love it mom! Wow, is this the last days or what! I also love this letter sent via email to all the local members on prop 8, and is now circling the country. It is written by our old Stake President, President Hamilton. If you haven't seen it already, take the time to read these facts. This letter is truly amazing. I have to admit, after the election results I was feeling a lot of sadness and despair! I know we won, and I was happy about it, but what now? I couldn't figure it out. After receiving this letter via email and talking to my parents, my sadness was replaced with excitement!

Dear Friends,

In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:

1. Mormons make up less than 2% of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.

2. Mormon voters were less than 5% of the yes vote. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6% of the Yes vote and 2.4% of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the Church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.

7. African Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70% of Black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, Evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims – all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or her self. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The Church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process, to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that Churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The Church has always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support, and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair, and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars, and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do – we spoke up, we campaigned, and we voted.

Hold your heads up high – you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let’s remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.

These are my personal opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in now way reflect official Church policy or doctrine.

Thanks,
Kevin Hamilton

Our Princess!

I really don't know where this girl got her crazy personality from!????

Chelsea is really SO much fun! She is always making us laugh. When I have had a ruff day, she always senses it and cheers me up with something. I hope she will always make people happy and make life fun! She made this crown at playgroup Wednesday and LITERALLY has NOT removed it in two days. She refuses to take it off even to go to bed. I just can't believe it stayed on all night and didn't fall off or get ripped! Well, she needed a shower tonight and so we talked her into taking it off. Of-course, it was put right back on as soon as her hair was dry. Thanks Susie for the very cute crown!

Spencer and his "gang"!

We consider it a huge blessing to live in my parents home for many reasons, but for me one of the biggest ones is for Spencer. Spencer has always had friends, but many have been girls. He is afraid of everything, from dogs to heights. Dan and I have been a little concerned as most parents are about their boys being boys! He doesn't play any competitive sports and he doesn't want to. Don't get me wrong, he loves to wrestle with dad and his sisters and he loves to play star wars and Lego's and things. OK, so he is just a little wimpy! There, I said it! So, anyways, there are five families on our street that have all boys. Let me tell you, they run this neighborhood! No, not really, but they do run the street! If you try to go down our street in the middle of the day, you will find it almost impossible! They have it all "coned" off and have bike ramps and skate ramps all around. They start off about 4:00, picking everyone up. You should see them, they really look like a gang. In fact we are having t-shirts made up that say "the Fallbrook gang!" By the time they get to our house they have collected everyone. The 8-10 of them walk back to the ramps and start their "stuff". Spencer has become quite the skateboarder. He took a class over the summer with his cousins, which was kind of a start for him. His friend Jake is really good and has taught him all kinds of tricks. He comes home using all this skater lingo. "Mom, today I did a Olly...you should have seen me grind!" I had to look these words up on the Internet and find out what these words actually meant! Jake just got a half pip for his back yard. Here is Spencer on the half pipe, which has brought more boys from other neighborhoods! So fun! Spencer has also regressed and is riding his 20" BMX bike again. Don't you know, it is "cool" to ride a bike that is half your size? No, really he is able to do all kinds of tricks with it. I will have to get some stuff on video for you! Yeah, for boys! Maybe, he won't be wimpy after all!

Happy Halloween!

We had a fabulous Halloween! The weather was absolutely perfect! There was no wind or rain, like I remember having previous Halloweens. The kids were so excited and started calling Dan at work at 4:00, asking him when he was coming home to take them trick-or-treating. He just kept telling them, "when it is dark". Some neighbors down the street were having a big party with lots of yummy food, so Spencer headed down early. As soon as Dan's truck turned the corner and onto our street, the girls were outside with trick-or-treating bags in hand. We met Chloe (Jennifer) Lee and her daughter Camile and started down the street knocking on doors. Spencer really wanted to go with his friends trick-or-treating, which shocked me completely. Isn't he way too young to want to leave his mommy and go out with friends? Dan and I felt it was OK and so off he went without his parents for the first time! He was actually with the "neighborhood group" which included lots of parents, just a half a block away...don't worry mom! The neighborhood was packed, which made it so much more fun! Yeah, for kids in the neighborhood again...right? For those who don't know, we are living in my parent's house and so in the same neighborhood I grew up in. We had tons a kids in the neighborhood back then, but according to my parents, it has been pretty dead in the most recent years. Well, it is pretty alive again! The kids had a blast running into all their friends from school. Spencer even went inside the "neighborhood haunted house." See, Spencer is such a scarty cat! Dan said, "he would have never done that if he was with us." I guess he had to be tough because he was with his friends. Again, yeah for friends! So, these are their costumes. Spencer was way too cool to totally dress up as something this year. I tell you, he is growing up way too fast! So, he went as a skater! Notice the "grind marks on the back of his skateboard? Yah, I will blog about that tomorrow when I am not so tired. The girls were very excited about their costumes. Melanie was Sharpay and Chelsea was Gabriella from High School Musical. Melanie got accused of being Hannah Montana and one lady thought she was Brittany Spears. OK, who would ever dress up as Brittany Spears? Wouldn't she have a shaved head, on drugs and pregnant or something? Silly lady! They were so cute!

Some of Spencer's gang! "The Fallbrook Boys"