Lucas's First T-ball Game

Lucas has been asking to play baseball for the last year. He can't wait to play like his big brother. Opening Day finally came. He was lucky enough to get to play on the Giants this year. For the first game, the manager brought eye black - much needed for all T-ballers.

Jeff is one of the coaches.

Lucas and Jared on Opening Day. It is hard to believe that Lucas will be as big as Jared some day.

Lucas loved every moment of it.

Surprisingly, Lucas was one of the most focused kids out there (which for those of you that know Lucas, this is a amazing!)

He grounded the ball a bunch of times and made great contact with the ball. Most of all, he had a great time.

Leah's Baptism

Here is Jeff's letter inviting our friends and family to Leah's baptism along with the pictures from the day...
  

Hi family and friends, 

It's hard to believe, but our beautiful little brunette Leah is turning 8 years old on February 28th! As such, she's old enough to be baptized and confirmed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The ordinance will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 5th. 

Like her brother Jared before her, Leah is very excited to be baptized. And as I did for him, I'd like to take a minute to brag about what a great person she is... Since she was a little girl, countless numbers of complete strangers have gone out of their way to comment on her gorgeous brown eyes and curls (see picture below); I'm already dreading the attention she'll get in a few years when the boys start noticing. She has a remarkable work ethic - she's always asking what she can do to help around the house, and she completes tasks with an attention to detail far beyond her years. Combine this trait with her love of learning and you have an exceptional student who eagerly does her homework without being asked, and then will often ask for extra schoolwork to do. Like Jared, she loves to read, and she followed his example by setting a goal to read the Book of Mormon (531 pages!) on her own before she turned 8... She finished just a couple of weeks ago. :)

Above all, my favorite thing about Leah is her wonderful ability to make people feel loved. She is always ready with a smile, a hug and kiss, and a sincere "I love you Daddy" that just make the cares of the world melt away - and I see her do the same for others all the time. In that way, she expresses her love for Jesus in the best way possible: by helping others to feel His unconditional love also.

Did I mention that she LOVES to eat vegetables, and in fact we have yet to find a food that she doesn't like? Flaws, you ask? Well, if I'm nitpicking, I suppose she can be just a bit bossy... OK, to be honest, that's actually like saying that Michael Jordan is "just a bit" bald - but we're going to keep her anyway. She's just preparing for her inevitable future role as the ruler of the free world. Hey, anyone who has spent even a little bit of time around Leah definitely wouldn't put it past her. :)

For those of you receiving this email who live long distances away, we understand that you likely won't be able to join us for the baptism, but please know that we miss you and would love to see you if the opportunity arises to take a trip out here. We have six in our house already but there's always room for guests! For the many of you who are not of our faith, we hope you'll feel welcome and comfortable in celebrating this special occasion with us - we'd truly love for you to attend if you're able to do so. 

Love to all!
Jeff, Carli, Jared, Leah, Lucas & Claire

It was a great day. Bobpa and Nonni gave the talks on Baptism and The Gift of the Holy Ghost. Jeff and Jared sang Leah's favorite song, "A Child's Prayer."

Leah turns 8!

Leah decided that she wanted pie instead of cake this year for her birthday! Bobpa made the pie. It was great and a huge relief for me. Grandma, Grandpa, Nonni and Bobpa (with Leah's new skirt on his head) came over to celebrate.

Happy Hollow for Winter Break

I decided to take the kids to Happy Hollow since I had President's Day off. On our way, Jared asked if we could bring Marcus and Kylie (their cousins).

Here is the gang.

Lucas can't ride in the back of the car without getting sick but he seems to do fine on the rides.

Marcus, Jared and Leah were the only ones up for the roller coaster.

Another picture of Leah and Marcus looking like siblings!

Our little fearless Claire in action.

Talent Show

Jared's class was in the Talent Show at school. He continues to amaze us with his moves. He is always ready to play to the crowd.

Jared's Final Pinewood Derby

We were all set this year. Jared and Jeff built the car in plenty of time. The paint was dry and it was the perfect weight. "Captain Zoom" was ready to take to the track.

Jeff and Jared lubing up the wheels.

Three cars race at a time. Jared is ready to beat his friends (though it is not at all about winning;)

Jared's car is the orange one that is way out in front.

He ending up having the fastest time in his den and was second place in the pack! Jeff is glad to be done for another 5 years!

One of the boys had a car that broke down on the track and was unable to race. He was in one of the younger dens and it caused a lot of tears. On his own, Jared rounded up his friends and had them vote for this boy's car as the "Best in Show". It was the best part of the day. It is moments like this that you think that your kids might actually be okay in life!

Oakland Zoo for the MLK Holiday

We went with some of our friends to the Oakland Zoo for MLK Day. Jared (with his gangsta glasses and backward hat), Makenzie, Adam, Leah and Jamie.

Claire and Lucas had fun playing on the animal statues.

Claire, Jared & Lucas hiding in a shell.

Jared's favorite animal as a baby was the elephant. It continues to be a family favorite.

Perhaps my favorite animal of the day. The alligator was sitting up right against the glass. Apparently they can sit in one place for hours at a time. He had us fooled - we thought he was dead but when we went back he had moved. It is crazy to be so close to those teeth!