The year in review….

Steve building our outdoor fireplace

The inauguration of Donald President as 45th President of the United States

Maddie and Clawdia got fixed, to keep the neighborhood tom cats away

Natalie’s perfection of her peanut butter cookies

Jacob spending time being mentored in robotics by Donald, from FLL 2nd Life Team

Time with the Cousins at a home that Grammy & Grandpa rented in Temecula

Jacob tried cello classes for half a year

The year we had to put Charlie down to sleep. What a faithful doggie.

1st time being filmed! For a Netflix video about LEGO

Many glorious hikes with our Tuesday “Adventure Club” friends

SpaceX relanded the 1st stage of a Falcon 9 rocket!!!! Back onto a barge!!!

Natalie as ‘Rafiki’ in Lion King Jr. (Haven Academy of the Arts)

Snow White and the Inland Oil Spill, Animal Allies Season

FLL 16555, The Masterminds (Xavier, Noah, Natalie, Tensaye, Jacob)

Trip to Carrizo Plains to see the big bloom

Competed at FLL World Festival in Houston, Texas

Steve’s Grandma & Grandpa Wallis celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary

End of an era at Music Rhapsody                                                                                              (started when Jacob was 6 months old, ended when he was 11 1/2 years old)

How can we be old enough to have a kid in Junior High??? This was Jacob’s 1st ever drop off at a J-Hi beach event organized by OCF (Oceanside Christian Fellowship).           

A heart-gripping moment of reality for this mama.

Enjoying summer with Daddy in the backyard

Summer creations (Natalie’s piñata cake & Jacob’s reconstruction of the German robot)

Did came to live with us for 2 weeks after Grandma Ursula had her hospital emergency. A new chapter of life begins for Dide now……out of Ursula’s house to a Memory Care Unit.

Natalie is double digits!!

Jacob’s exciting 1st use of pneumatics; post-season learning

My babies are growing up. They’re riding bikes to summer camp now.

Steve perfects the lemon drop.  Now I don’t have to wait for a date night to Houston’s.  Steve helps me make it through the summer and fall months of my father’s transition.

The excitement of a new FLL season: Hydrodynamics                                                             Now the Masterminds are a team of 2

Natalie begins oboe lessons with Teacher Alina!

A historic day! Natalie gets to meet a real-live penguin, in person, for the 1st time!!!! Headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for this Animal Encounter!

Whether it’s lorikeet birds, penguins, dogs, cats, bunnies…..you name it….Natalie LOOOOOOOOVES animals!

& playing with Friends LEGO sets; especially when Daddy plays along with silly stories

Jacob’s 1st time away at summer camp; OCF J-Hi went to Hume Lake

The year that Natalie thoroughly enjoyed baking and decorating cakes

Jacob asked to get baptized!!!!! In his amazing love and maturity he waited to come back home from Hume and get baptized at the ocean so that we, his parents, could be there. So happy that Jacob looks up to his J-Hi leaders Ryan Guzman and Jack Shodall!

Solar eclipse! All kinds of fun things to do as homeschoolers 🙂

Natalie’s 1st birthday party with friends! A belated 10th birthday celebration.              Olivia, Lilly, Isabel, Grace, Ella Jayne, Allie, Natalie Bartleson and Natalie!

Crazy antics with these kiddos. Lots of silliness.                                                                       But so deeply happy that Jacob and Natalie love each other and enjoy playing together.

We sold the green van. 1998-2017.