December is always the busiest month of the year. We have so many things to celebrate and attend throughout the 31 days we are given. Life can feel rushed and this year was no different, maybe even more than years past. I wouldn't have traded any of it, but I also learned to slow down a little when December comes around again :)
I've been getting back into photography quite a bit over the past year. It's a passion I have had for over a decade and have played with here and there. Even though it never really sits on the backburner for long, I take a break every now and again. I shot this picture by setting up a tripod. Loved every minute of capturing this sweet family of mine. I thought the pics turned out great!
I signed up for a Fit52 challenge in November and ended up succeeding! I won a private workout session with Carrie Underwood's trainer, Eve Overland. It was awesome! We took about 30 minutes on a December morning to get moving. I had a good sweat along with several others from the Fit52 fam who completed the challenge with me. Super fun!
Beckham boy had the cutest little Christmas concert. We loved going to cheer him on and sing along.
Quinnie also had a little nativity play that she was apart of for her Pre-K. Listening to the sweet songs of Christ was just heart warming. Love that little girl.
Another year lighting the Manteca Christmas Tree!
A fun night painting Christmas pictures for the fridge.
I was moving some furniture around and found these three up on a dresser...haha. Love these kiddos!
Happy 11th Anniversary Babe!
We celebrated by watching the new Spider-Man in the theater. It was awesome. I may have cried. I can't believe it has been 11 years. The time has flown by SO fast. I wouldn't have wanted to spend these past 11 years with anyone else. Pres is the best by far, and I am so dang lucky to have him by my side.
I have been practicing piano for about four months. This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I absolutely LOVE it. I am still very much learning, but enjoy going to my lessons every week. I am learning that piano is like learning a new language. It takes practice, and a lot of patience with oneself to make errors, and learn from those. My teacher Annie Brown is absolutely phenomenal. She encourages me and keeps me on track. I think she has more confidence in me than I do in myself at times, haha. I just love her.
Our Christmas gift to our Young Women this year was Encanto in the theater. Everyone got their own personal popcorn, drink, candy, and ticket to the show. We loved it!
Pres rockin' his ugly sweater for work. Love this guy so much! He brought a lot of smiles to those around him :)
Most nights when we go to check on the kids after they go to bed, this girl is passed out with a book in her hands. I just think it is the sweetest thing you'll ever see. We love our little reader.
Cheesecake Factory for the win!
As Christmas approached we wanted to make sure we kept the true meaning of Christmas front and center. I planned an evening I knew we would all just love. Starting with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory :)
Me and Beckham boy
After dinner we checked out the Oakland temple Christmas lights! How cool is this temple?!
Family photo
A view from the Oakland temple roof. San Francisco looks amazing!
This is looking from the temple stairs down the walkways.
Another shot from the end of the walkway toward the temple.
They also had a Giving Machine! Everyone was able to choose something to donate to a family or country in need. We donated a pig, water, pajamas, backpack with school supplies, meals for a family, and vaccinations for those in need. The kids LOVED this part of the night. I can't wait to do it again next year :)
Of course we had to stop to grab a little sweet treat for the way home :)
For the second year in a row, I made a little something for the kiddos with my sewing machine. I was so excited to gift these cute aprons to them. I had them open them on Christmas Eve, so we could whip up some chocolate chip cookies for Santa. They love them which makes it so worth it.
The family Christmas jammies tradition continues!
This year we let the kids have a sleep over on Christmas Eve. They thought this was a gift in itself :)
Christmas time!
I only took one picture the entire Christmas morning, haha. We had so much fun opening up gifts from Santa, and one another that I totally spaced it. It always goes by so quickly. Everyone had a blast and there was, as always, lots of squeals and excitement from everyone :)
Our big Christmas gift this year to the family was taking a trip to San Diego. We found $39 tickets on Southwest to LA and jumped on them. Pres and I are big on celebrating Christmas with experiences with our family rather then gifts. We couldn't wait to take the kids on this trip we had planned a few months out. 
Christmas night we boarded a plane to LA. We didn't tell the kids where we were going the entire time. They just knew we packed bags and headed toward the bay. I loved watching them try to figure out each step along the way. We got a hotel in LA that night. When we woke up, Pres ran to get the van we rented and breakfast. We were so excited for the kids to find out the last surprise of the trip. There was a knock on the door to our room and Grandma and Poppa Clark entered. The kids were SO excited to see Grandma and Pop. Now the trip could officially begin!
We were beyond thrilled to have everyone together once again. We loaded up the car, grabbed a few things we needed from the store, and headed south to San Diego. Grandma and Pop were great at keeping the kids entertained the entire 90 minute ride :) Lots of talk about the planets and goofy faces on the iPad.
First detour on our way down was the Newport Beach Temple!
We stretched our legs, walked the grounds, and enjoyed the beautiful day we had.
Such a sweet nativity.
It was like fall here. The leaves all changing. The grounds were beautiful.
Taking a quick rest after running around the maze of sidewalks. These three loved stretching their legs.
Next stop was lunch. We stopped at Mendocino Farms for a tasty and healthy lunch. Grandpa snuck away to teach Jack and Beckham a thing or two about foosball.
We arrived at the Airbnb safe and sound. We ended up getting a pretty sweet Airbnb. We had the exact amount of space we needed. I regret not getting a few pics of the place. It was a great apartment tucked away in a quiet neighborhood.
Our first full day was spent at the San Diego Zoo!
We had been anticipating this day for weeks and it was so worth it! This was such a fun zoo. We enjoyed seeing all of the animals. I was impressed with the exhibits and the space in between each one. The animals seemed happy to be hangin' in the San Diego Zoo.
Baby Giraffe
He was so big yet so small compared to his family.
Checking out the giraffes.
Sun bear
While we were waiting for the polar bear the kids had a little fun hanging out with this guy, haha.
I think the polar bear was my favorite animal in the zoo.
Why hello Mr. Lion. I couldn't believe how close they were. Very cool.
The one thing we were asked several times was if it was time to ride the arial tram :) This little girl was in absolute heaven once we boarded our bucket that took us back to the parking lot.
It was Pres, Quinn, Beckham, and me and...
Jack rode with Grandma and Pop.
Even Pop enjoyed the ride :)
Happy Birthday Jackson Scott!!
He was so happy with all of his special gifts. He received his scriptures from Grandma and Poppa Clark, Minecraft jammies, and new Minecraft books. Grandma and Poppa Spung got him a special toy to help him get more fun things in Zelda Breath of the Wild. It was for sure a special day.
I can't believe our oldest is 8 years old! The time truly goes by so fast. We have enjoyed every day we have had with this sweet boy. He is such a blessing to have in our family.
San Diego Safari Park here we come!
The next day we took off to check out the Safari Park. Our first stop at the park was the tiger exhibit. It was so cool to see the tigers so close. They are magnificent creatures. We also went to see the "star" of the safari park, the platypus. Apparently there are very few places that have a platypus in a zoo. We waited about 30 minutes to enter this creatures exhibit, and it was not necessarily worth the wait, haha. Platypus are nocturnal animals, so the exhibit was super dark to begin with, and when you add a black platypus, let's just say, he's no where to be found. Haha. For those who were lucky they could maybe see his white eyes, but he mostly hung out behind a log. Probably laughing at all of us as we tried our best to find him. Haha.
Next was the safari train. We waited for quite a long time to go on our safari. I would guess it was about a 75 minute wait. It was pretty chilly and was drizzling, so the wait was not easy. Luckily the kids did great until about the last half hour. We had to keep distracting them with new things, so they'd forget they were cold and wet, haha. Honestly though, they were troopers. We had a great time once we boarded our train.
Here we go!
Ready to explore.
Once again, these three amigos stayed close to each other while the rest of us hung out behind them.
Love these people!
Fun times on the train.
Flamingos
Beckham checking out the Oryx.
A baby rhino resting with his momma.
This lion came over to see what was going on. It was so weird to see her moving about. I've always seen lions sunbathing or napping. She was very alert and wondering what was going on over on our side.
Looks good Dad :)
How cute is this?!
The next day we took everyone to a bookstore. This is one of our favorite traditions to do when we travel. The kids head to the children's section and start exploring while us adults gander around.
Our kiddos LOVE books. This is their favorite souvenir anywhere we go. We camp out at a bookstore for a little while and head home with a new book to read. It's a win-win all around.
After the bookstore and a tasty lunch at Kono's Cafe, we headed to the Mormon Battalion Museum. This was a favorite stop on the trip. The kids enjoyed this detour very much. They had a blast learning about the Mormon Battalion and going from room to room. It was very theatrical and such a fun way to learn more about what happened. We would highly recommend swinging by if you are ever in San Diego.
Cool decor out front.
Hello Sir.
Artifacts from 1847. Bible, Book of Mormon, and lantern.
Checking out all of the artifacts after the tour.
Rifles and swords that would have been used.
Honorary Members of the Battalion!
Outside we got to pan for some gold. The kids were in heaven. Even in the rain :)
We panned for gold for quite some time. Loads of fun at the museum.
Quick stop in the covered wagon.
We walked a little ways down town to check out the shops. After a little while we decided it was time to head back. It started to rain, so Pres ran to get the car while we all took shelter :)
Our last big adventure was to the USS Midway Museum.
This was another favorite on the trip. I wish I would have planned a little better, because I honestly could have stayed all day here. After a few hours though we (I, haha) were ready for some lunch. The time we were able to spend was super fun though.
Beckham sitting in the cockpit.
Jack's turn.
And little Miss Quinn Marie.
This was taken from the flight deck.
They had tons of different types of helicopters and planes. We each had a little device that we could play to hear more about each plane and helicopter. It was fascinating to listen to the stories from the veterans that were on this ship.
Sitting inside the helicopter :)
A view from the flight deck.
The USS Lincoln across the way.
Hanging out with this guy :)
I think they have the hang of this.
All smiles with Grandpa.
Air Boss Beckham
This was an animated captain of the ship. He moved and told us stories of the boat. The kids thought it was so cool.
Learning what life was like on the boat.
That's a pretty small kitchen to feed everyone on the ship, right?!
Heading up the stairs that seemed more like a ladder, haha.
Checking out the view from the air control tower.
Best seat in the house!
Captain Clark
Cute shot of Grandpa and Quinnie.
Jacks turn to be the captain :)
Steer us straight Quinn Marie :)
We had such a fun time on the USS Midway. It was even cooler than I think we had anticipated. We learned so much, and saw so many cool things. I would go back again.
To celebrate Quinn's 5th birthday we took everyone to the theater. Sing 2 was the perfect way for this little one to turn 5. We all LOVED the movie. Great songs, lots of laughter, and a fun story line. We've been listening to the soundtrack ever since :)
Happy Birthday Quinnie girl!! We love you oh so much!
I cannot get over that our baby girl is now 5 years old. She has been and continues to be the sweetest, most helpful little human around. She loves everyone so much, and is such a great sister. We love our Quinn Marie.
Jack turned 8!
Turning 8 years old in our world is a very special day. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from the time you turn 8 and older you get to choose for yourself if you would like to follow Jesus Christ's example and be baptized. You are choosing to follow God's commandments, love one another, and do your best to be like Him. In so doing, He promises to have His spirit with you to help guide your path and way. Jackson chose to be baptized. It was a perfect day for this little guy.
All ready to go in his whites :)
He was SO excited to share this day with Grandma and Poppa as well.
Full hearts!
Clark family shot.
Preston had the opportunity to baptize Jack. It was such a wonderful sight to see.
This is the program for Jackson's baptism. I LOVED the water color painting on the front.
I think it is safe to say that Jack enjoyed everything about his special day. Pres and Sandy did an incredible job with both talks. They were customized just for him and were wonderful. Watching Pres baptize Jack was so special, and having Scott perform the confirmation will be a memory we will never forget. So many family members were able to join us on Zoom, so they could all be apart of it. That room was filled with love and the Spirit. Having his Grandparents involved was a cherry on top for him. Choosing to be baptized on January 1st was the perfect way to start the year for this little man.
On Jacks baptism day I was feeling under the weather but pushed through. Once we were home I took a nap. The following day I was feeling so tired and stuffy. I figured it was from the traveling and the go, go, go we had been doing all week. Unfortunately, on Sunday night I tested positive for COVID-19. I knew something was different after not being able to taste or smell anything that day. I quarantined to my room and masked up for the week. The kids stayed home from school for the 10 day quarantine while I rested when I could, but still fulfilled my Mom roll. Lucky for me my sickness was not bad at all. I couldn't taste or smell and I would get crazy headaches at times, but other than that I was fine. I took Tylenol extra strength for the headaches and they would go away almost immediately. I was still able to work out in the week, cook, and do all things Mom related. I did nap in the afternoons at times and rested when I felt I needed to. I was grateful it came and went within about 8 days. We were blessed that no one else ended up with it.
Even with COVID, December ended up being one incredible month. It was crazy busy, but amazing. On top of all the things we did, I also planned and executed (with help) the ward Christmas party. I think it turned out to be a hit and everyone enjoyed it. We had a soup & chili cookoff (with awesome prizes), activities for the kids, a story time reading about the nativity, and a gift for everyone to remember the true meaning of Christmas. It was so fun being together as a ward family and celebrating the birth of the Savior.
With a month full of birthdays, our anniversary, parties, concerts, and Christmas we had a blast. The kids really enjoyed all of the celebrating. We also LOVED every minute of our San Diego trip with Grandma and Poppa Clark. It was such a treat to have those two to explore with us. All in all, December turned out to be one amazing month for this Clark family. One for the books! Now, we look forward to a more chill January :)
