California McMillans

I got a Canon 5d mkiv, a professional paparazzi camera.  I'd wanted one for the past ten years.  With the addition of Scott's drone to our video-making armamentarium, it was time to start making vids with the 5d.  But it also takes real nice stills.  The image sensor is full-frame and is at least twice the pixels of my previous camera.  The iphone is great and all, it's super convenient and the low-light photography is good, but the 5d is better.   So here are some of my recent shots. Scott flying his drone at Valley Verde elementary Kira at Valle Verde with a nice fall background. Our Walnut Creek home with the Christmas lights on a timer.  You can't tell, but IS300 is in the front on the jack. Hanna being cute Tyler playing Minecraft on his Macbook Paisley and Roman joined us for din din  Suzie lounging on Heidi's puzzle.  Heidi has really enjoyed her puzzles this winter.   Parker has been way into the cats.  They are patient with him but eventually scratch him un

Scott's doing public school through zoom.  He wakes up early for 7:00 seminary.  If he finishes his schoolwork, piano, chores and cleans his room, I let him play Minecraft until 9:00 pm.    Blake's getting into Minecraft too.  He got himself a mouse just for Minecraft.   Cold cereal and his phone.  Tyler used to antagonize Heidi and the other kids until we signed him up for public school through zoom.  Now he stays up in his room with his laptop and things are more peaceful at home.   Hanna striking a pose.  So stinking cute!   Mister is so peaceful when he's asleep.  Otherwise he's volume 10, 100 mph, all day. Hanna with the Dover bar Heidi started a water polo clinic at Woodlands.  Over 60 kids signed up! We got lots of tomatoes this summer and fall.  We did heirloom, salsa, and roma.  The heirlooms were real meaty, some over 2 lbs.   Okay, bye.  

Look who's three years old!  Hanna would say "My bird day!"  She's been talking so much more in the past few weeks.  Yesterday I got on the skateboard and she said, "Be careful, Dad!"  Ha ha. For breakfast we had cinnamon rolls, bacon, and orange julius.  Hanna got some play doh, a doll stroller, some hair scrunchies, a doctor crash cart, a dress, and a doll from Roman and Paisley.   After breakfast we ran the RC boats in Discovery Bay.  Heidi picked up a raft and kayak on craigslist so the kids wanted to try them out.   Hanna is so stinkin' cute!  Oh, she got some boots, too.   With her dolly   Hanna likes drawing, her dolls, riding her bike, running with the basketball (like a game of tag with me), watching youtube (though we're trying to curb screen time in all the kids) and singing.  Happy birthday, Hanna!  We love you!  

Summer 2020 has been the best summer and the worst summer at the same time.  The best because we moved to Walnut Creek.  The home is bigger and the yard is like our own personal resort, so shelter-in-place has been tolerable since it's enjoyable being at the new home.  It's also been the worst because of pandemic and fear.   Anyway, Blake got baptized on 7/5/2020 in our backyard pool.  It was a unique ceremony since usually they're done at the stake center.   The backyard was definitely the selling point of this home.  I was against a pool because of all the maintenance, and it has been a lot of maintain, but it keeps the kids busy for hours at a time.  With the completion of the solar heating project, we can get it up to 86 degrees in the afternoon.   Sometimes Heidi joins us in the pool  Scott is almost as tall as I am.   We got these tow tubes as part of a package deal and they were a great investment since the "king of the hill" game has lots of variations.  H