2015 Update

There were two things that really stood out in 2015. First, Nicholas reached that wonderful age of 8 in May and was baptized. He was so proud to wear his new suit afterwards for his confirmation and thrilled that his grandparents on both sides were able to attend.  The second was that we decided to put Ryan in a different preschool after heeding a mother’s intuition and unsettled feeling about our original plan to send him for another year to where he went last year. Ryan just barely missed the cut-off for Kindergarten and needed something more challenging and stimulating. The new school had more of a curriculum and it didn’t hurt that one of Ryan’s best friends from church also went there. They have been connected at the hip this fall. We are very proud of both of the boys and can certainly see the Lord’s influence in their lives.

Both of the boys played soccer in the fall and started learning to play the piano. Nicholas actually started formal lessons while Ryan just swiped Nicholas’ music and started teaching himself. They both love Star Wars and Minecraft and many of their activities at home revolve around these themes, whether it be playing with legos, reading, coloring, watching shows, collecting figures, or playing games on the iPad for the limited time they get to do that on the weekends.

Carrie got a glowing mid-year report card for 3^rd grade. Oh wait, that was actually Nicholas :). Carrie loved school so much growing up that I give her a hard time about whether it’s Nicholas or her in school. She’s doing a wonderful job helping instill in Nicholas a discipline in doing his homework well every day and it’s paying off.  A highlight for Carrie this year was taking a trip in July to Peru with her mom to see Machu Picchu. Her dad and I watched the boys and we won’t provide many details on that except that we did our best to ruin them while the ladies were out touring the world. Carrie also fully healed from her knee injury last year and got back into ½ marathon form and for a 2^nd year in a row we did the Malibu olympic distance triathlon in September.  We have really been able to take advantage of the SoCal weather that always seems to be nice for running and biking, so there haven’t been any good excuses available. Plus, we’re just 3 miles from the beach, so we braved our fears of what lurks beneath and got out a number of times practice our ocean swimming leading up to the race.

For me, I continued to really enjoy my job at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo. I’ve had to start shifting my exercise routine to less running and more biking and swimming to reduce impact on my knees. This has led to discovering some new muscles in my back, neck, and shoulders which have probably felt largely ignored for most of my life. My diet mantra became “eat as many veggies as I can” after my father-in-law gave me a copy of the book, Eat to Live. I’ve really noticed a positive impact from these changes.

For those who are wondering and some probably guessed, our Christmas card picture was taken at the temple open house in Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego. We took a quick trip down there after Thanksgiving.  We are happy that the people in this area can now more easily enjoy the blessings of the temple.  Our lives are blessed knowing that our family has been sealed together for eternity in the temple and that our family relationships will continue in the life beyond this one. We are thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, for his life and example, for the strong foundation His teachings provide in our lives as we raise our children, and for opportunities to serve Him in building up the kingdom of God on the earth until He comes again.

 

My How Time Flies

Wow, I can't believe how fast time is flying!  And, sad to say, it might be another long time before I get on here.  So here goes fast typing fingers.  Nicholas is now in third grade and his homework is killing me : )  I am one who is a perfectionist so I make sure we get every i dotted and every t crossed.  No half-ways in this house.  Ryan has homework too now : ), luckily it's just preschool and he can get it done in 10 minutes.  Aah, the good old days.  Nicholas now has two soccer practices a week and is starting Cub Scouts and piano lessons.  Ryan is doing soccer as well, but he just has a practice/game every Saturday.  So chauffeuring has begun.  This year I am doing the school spelling bee, teaching nutrition lessons in the classroom and doing walking school bus.  With church duties, playdates, and the bird and the dog, I feel like this year is flying by.  We're all so busy and while I don't like rushing around all the time, at least we're not bored and the kids are active.  Mike and I are doing an Olympic distance triathlon this weekend so we're excited about that...yay!!!  It's been really great having Mike home more regularly in this current job.  We're definitely blessed!  Well, I'm going to turn into a pumpkin soon and tomorrow starts all over again soon.  Forgive any typos but that's just how life goes lately.

Reflecting on 2014

There seems to be just a few constants in life, one of them being change. The winds of change blew in at the beginning of this year and opened a new chapter in the Thompson life in sunny southern CA. Chevron asked Mike to take a new assignment as Finance Manager of a refinery in L.A., so we packed up and moved to Redondo Beach. We weren’t expecting to move, and we were sad to leave behind our friends in the Dublin area. We appreciate the warm welcome from our new neighbor and ward families.

Nicholas got to finish 1^st grade in a new school and didn’t seem to miss a beat. He also joined a new primary class at church where he was the only boy with a handful of girls. We laughed so hard one day when we asked him how his primary class was and he said he had to get out of there because the girls wouldn’t stop singing ‘that song’ from Frozen. He just rolls his eyes at that and would rather watch Despicable Me or Star Wars. He played soccer this fall and was recognized by his coach for being the most improved over the season. Nicholas turns 8 next May and is looking forward to his baptism.

Ryan who turns 4 in January, thinks he’s a least a couple years older than he is. He and Nicholas are inseparable. What Nicholas does Ryan does. Ryan advanced himself to Primary over the summer by announcing one day he was no longer going to nursery, so we got the Sunbeam leader to let him join a little early. He’s been going to pre-school several days a week and swims with a lot of confidence for his age, despite the fact that he looks like he’s about to drown most of the time.

Carrie puts up with us boys. When she does get a free moment to herself she’ll be found reading a book, heading to the gym, or trying to squeeze in a much-coveted nap. She has run a bunch of 10-K and ½ marathon races this year, although had to slow down a bit over the last few months because of a pesky knee injury just before our Malibu Triathlon in September. She still competed in the swim and bike, but looks forward to being full strength for next year. At church, she got to serve as a cub scout leader for part of the year and is currently enjoying her work with the sisters as Relief Society secretary.

With the new job and less business travel, Mike got back in shape this year with the triathlon and lots of running. He has been able to recharge a bit. He was disappointed to leave behind his work with the youth in Pleasanton Stake, but was quickly called again into the YM presidency in our new ward. He also enjoyed dusting off his vocal cords a bit, taking some voice lessons, and singing his first solo at church. Mike and Carrie also got to take a couple trips together to Mexico and Hawaii. Many thanks to Baba and Papa and Grammy for watching the boys during these times.

The other main constant in our lives besides change is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it strengthens our family. We love that there are truths that we can teach our children and that bind us together eternally as family. We love the fact that our kids look forward to ‘family night’ on Monday evenings. We love that they expect to read scriptures together as a family before bed. Most of all, we LOVE our Savior and this time of time when we can reflect more fully on his birth and life. HE IS THE GIFT.

We'll Miss You

We are sad to say that Lightling went to bird heaven today.  He was a great bird and always talking.  "Pretty bird" and "good morning" were his favorites.  He liked taking baths in the sinks and looking at "his friend" (himself) in the mirror.  He even survived a big wound when Ryan poked him in the chest with a toy.  But with little boys and a fragile bird, accidents happen.  We will miss him and are glad he got to spend a couple of years with us.  Enjoy flying in heaven pretty bird!!

A Little Bit of Cowboy

We got back from Cabo just in time to catch the Fourth of July rodeo in Bandera.  While we were gone, Papa and Baba had bought the boys some cowboy hats and lassos.  They loved that and Nicholas was thrilled to lasso his cousin, Eli.  We missed the fireworks but God put on his own fireworks with an awesome lightening show later that evening.  One thing we miss about living in CA is the thunder and lightning storms that happen in the Midwest.  What power in the sky.

   

Papa took the boys swimming everyday and on some cool outdoor adventures. 

I guess Mike and I need to get some cowboy hats as well, GG looks pretty good in hers : )

Beautiful Cabo San Lucas

Mike and I finally got away for a “just us” vacation, thanks to Papa and Baba.  Cabo is beautiful and we did absolutely nothing but relax all week long.  No scheduled activities for us, we just wanted to be on our own schedule.  We ate when we wanted, played tennis every day, took our swims in the great wide open ocean, and got in some great naps and movies.  We did take a boat ride over to Lover’s Beach and to see the famous arch (El Arco).  We didn’t get a picture of it since we didn’t take the camera on the boat.  Off of Lover’s Beach we swam with the fishes and admired the beauty of the place. The last pic is a bus Mike liked because on the back it said “Jesus Cristo es mi Salvador” y mas.  We loved going into town and picking up a few souvenirs and gifts as well as practicing our Spanish.  It was a wonderful trip and we can’t wait to go back again one day…with the boys of course : )

    

Great Visit

We were thrilled when we got a phone call from Denise, a friend of Mike’s from Duke, saying she was in town with her fiance.  She and Ya came over one afternoon and it was nice catching up on old times and new stories.  They were so sweet and brought the boys some nice Legos to build.  We are excited to go to their wedding this summer in Hawaii.