Our first welcome to the Rocklin 3rd ward happened to be at the annual Labor Day Breakfast. We all gathered at a splash pad and park here in Rocklin. They had face painting, yummy food, frisbee golf, and lots of fun conversation. We were so grateful to get to know the ward in this relaxed fun way.
Quinn had this beautiful butterfly done.
A little kinetic sand activity during no screen time.
Found this gem on my phone. Beckham is wearing Great Grandpa Curtis' hat and sneaking a pic, haha.
With a new house comes new responsibility. Pres and I were looking forward to teaching the kids how to mow. The boys took that new challenge head on. They were stoked to earn a few dollars by helping out with lawn care.
New hair and a massage :)
After packing, lifting boxes, beds, & dressers I was ready for a little make over and a massage. Ahh. Bliss!
Goodies from Great Aunt Stephie Lou Who.
I noticed that Quinnie was needing a trim. I had been doing it the past 8 years, but felt it was time for a professional to take the lead. She was nervous going into it, but thrilled once she realize how fun it was to get your hair washed by someone else, haha.
Lookin cute Quinnie girl!
We were out running errands one night and the kids asked if we could stop and grab some ice cream. Handler's for the win again!
The kids raised money for a school fundraiser they had. It was to help the 6th graders raise money for a week of science camp, get updated playground equipment, fencing around the school, and loads more things. We actually go to the oldest elementary school in Rocklin. It needed a little updating and these funds would support that. They raised $10k over the goal amount the school had! I couldn't believe it. Pres and I were able to go and watch the kids do a dance off in celebration of this epic victory 🙌
We’ve only lived in this new area for a few weeks, but one of the first things we noticed is how much everyone is outside! People are biking, hiking, playing sports, running, walking — you name it. It feels like every day there’s someone out enjoying the sunshine. It’s been so refreshing to see families and friends spending so much time outdoors together.
Curious about what’s nearby, I started looking into camping spots in our area since there seem to be parks everywhere. To my surprise, there are several campgrounds within a short drive from home! No wonder everyone spends so much time outside. I went ahead and booked a campsite for our family, and we were all so excited for our very first campout near our new hometown!
We arrived around 6 p.m. and had our tent set up in no time. While Pres and I got the mattresses and sleeping bags arranged, the kids played a few rounds of volleyball nearby. They also went on a little stick-hunting adventure — apparently the perfect campfire tools can only be found after some serious searching, haha.
Once everything was set, we explored the area a bit and took a short family hike down to the lake just before sunset. The light reflecting off the water was gorgeous, and it felt like the perfect start to our first camping trip in our new home.
A view from our camp.
Mr. Jack being goofy.
Set up and ready to go!
Headed toward the lake for our sunset walk.
Beckham moved the light to his face and he looked like Batman, haha.
Led by the light.
Along the way, we spotted some mysterious droppings on the trail — so of course, we had to take a picture and ask ChatGPT what we were up against, haha. Thankfully, the verdict came back as most likely a fox. Crisis averted!
As the stars came out and the night settled in we began roasting s'mores. The quintessential camping tradition unlike any other. Once our bellies were full with marshmellowy goodness we tucked in for the night. We watched an episode of the Great British Baking Show before calling it a night.
Jack helping out with breakfast!
Everyone loved joining in on the breakfast fun. The kids created pancake magic using squeeze bottles to draw their designs right onto the griddle. First came their initials, then came the random (and hilarious) creations, haha. It was such a blast watching their imaginations come to life — and breakfast ended up being a huge hit! It was talked about for days afterward.
Morning vibes ☼
Packing up!
I was taught many things when I was young, and packing a car was one of them. I tetrised the heck out of all of this stuff into one Venza trunk. My Pops would be so proud.
After we packed up camp we took a family walk to the lake. The day was perfect for skipping rocks, looking for seashells, and soaking up all the vitamin D we could before heading home.
Finding sticks was a main hobby for this kid. Climbing rocks was a close second ;)
The rocks had the coolest formation on them. There was a line of rock that ran right through the middle! I had never seen anything like that. It was crazy and went on for several yards until it was gone.
I'll let you guess who the common denominator is when it comes to finding random photos on my phone, haha.
Cooking class continues! These three are doing such a good job with following directions and helping out with the meals. .They are rocking this cooking thing.
After moving, unpacking, and decorating the house I was ready for a little "Treat yoself" day. I told Pres that I really just wanted a day to unwind, serve, be served, and have a little "Les time". We found a day that worked on the calendar and I made plans :)
First up was my morning workout. I always feel so good after moving my body and getting in a good stretch to start the day. It does wonders for my back and has been such an important part of my healing.
I love having the temple as part of my Momcation days as well. It's a great way to recenter my life and remember why I am here, and what is truly important.
Me getting ready to eat up and enjoy being served by someone else :) Can you tell I'm stoked about this part, haha.
Cracker Barrel is actually one of my all time favorite restaurants. I love a good home cooked meal. I did edits and caught up on some photography business while I ate my yummy baked potato and salad.
Movie time!
I was so excited to get a ticket for the Downton Abbey movie. I ordered my popcorn, drink, and a chocolate chip cookie, then sat back and basked in the luxury of being served for a change — all while being delightfully entertained by the Crawley family on screen. It was such a great movie, and I truly enjoyed every minute of it.
Quick stop at a favorite place with a new book and then off to home. It was the perfect day away.
Game night with the kids!
Playing Mario Party with my favorite people.
Pres hanging out with us while we play, haha.
A farmers market and breakfast date with my love.
Pres told me to be ready to head out for breakfast one Saturday morning. We hit up a ma and pa diner grabbing some eggs benny - which were delicious - in Auburn, and then checked out the market. It was so fun going from booth to booth to see what everyone had.
I took a walk around the neighborhood while the kids scooted along. It was great to get outside and enjoy some Vitamin D. We found a creek not far from our house with a little water fall. It was quite the treat.
We followed the creek to under a bridge where we climbed and explored.
Another puzzle in the books!
This one took sooo long! It was a thousand pieces, and at first, I was the only one working on it. Eventually, Pre joined in to help — though I’m pretty sure it was mostly so we could clean it up sooner, haha. I loved spending little pockets of time searching for pieces during football games or lunch breaks. It became such a fun and relaxing part of the day.
After all that effort, we finally finished it — only to discover we were missing two pieces! Ugh! Still, it turned out to be such a pretty puzzle. We loved the cozy Christmas vibe it brought to the house while we waited for fall weather to finally kick in around here.
September was such a fun month! We took our first camping trip as a family and loved every minute of it. We started to settle more into our new home, ward, and neighborhood — getting to know amazing neighbors, connecting with our new church family, and decorating our beautiful new space. The kids are feeling more and more at home in their classrooms and have already started making great friends.
I’ve also been grateful for some time to rest, recover, and recharge — it’s amazing what a little “me time” can do. As we head into October, I’m so looking forward to cooler weather, cozy evenings, and all the fun that comes with fall.
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