Happy Birthday Sydney

What a busy weekend this has been. So much has happened that I haven't had a chance to post anything. Friday Ben and Sharley and their friends Jose and Chardenay (sp) came down to go to some Halloween Haunted House thing. Sarah had a race Friday after school and Ben, Sharley and friends all went to watch her. Unfortunately I had visitors from Japan and I couldn't make it. Bummer. When Sarah heard they were going to the haunted house she quickly invited herself to go along. She took her friend Nick along with her.

From all reports they had a wonderfully scary time. They then came home and we played games all night. This time we mixed it up a little. We played a game of Settlers, a game of "The Great Dalmudi" and then a few rounds of five handed Rook. It was a ton of fun. Saturday Sharley and her friends headed home and Ben came with us to celebrate Sydney's birthday. Sharley had some school work she had to catch up on. We all had a ton of fun and ate way too much junk food. Sydney has a little childrens book about a dump truck and lately she has been very taken with dump trucks.

Serene made a birthday cake that looks like a dump truck and we actually gave her a dump truck for her present. It was battery powered and made some real cool sounds. It would also drive for a little ways. Sydney loved the dump truck but I think the little boy who was invited it loved it more. I finally had to take it away from the boy because I was afraid he would break it before Sydney even had a chance to play with it.

We stayed and visited with Brandon and Serene for a little while and then we headed home. We dropped Ben off at his new home in Orange.

We took ten minutes or so to check out the new digs (which are actually pretty nice) and then we headed home.

Sunday we had some friends show up just in time for church. When Lisa joined the church as a very young teenager and her young womans advisor was Elaine Cooper. Elaine has since married Doug Streibel and they make a wonderful couple. They were actually on a mission to Nauvoo when we made a trip out there a few years back. They just got off a cruise on Sunday morning in Long Beach and drove down to San Diego just in time for church. Lisa showed them all the sights on Monday and Tuesday and they left the house this morning at 4:00 to catch their plane. I made sure I said good bye to them last night so they were on their own this morning.

So, in a nut shell that has been week in a nutshell. Tomorrow is Thursday and then it will be another action packed weekend. I'm sure we've had at least a dozen visitors over the past few months.

I love it but boy, it doesn't give you much of a chance to breathe.

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Small electronics like XBox and Play Stations consume 15% of all household electricity.

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Sydney wanted to show us the cheese puff in her mouth.

This little boy was more excited about Sydney's presents than she was.

Sarah was blowing bubbles for the kids.

Hayley was sitting peacefully on my belly when Sydney saw her. Sydney always wants what ever Hayley has so in no time she was on my belly as well.

And then another little girl decided to join.

The lights in this view are part of Pepperdine campus. What a great view.

The same view with Ben and Sarah in it.

Doug & Elane Streibel and Lisa & I eating fish and chips in Seaport Village. Yummy.