We're Back Home!!!

Anika at Tidepools

Kelly and Emily hiking up from tidepools

At the tidepools

Disneyland

Dean, Brent, Garold and Kelly

Sessions Family Picture at Manhattan Beach



Kelly and Emily on the Beach

The Sessions.  Dean, Brent, Kelly, Shelly, Garold and Pauline

We spent the week of Thankgiving in Manhattan Beach, CA with Kelly's parents and family.  During the day we could be running around Disneyland (and staying at my aunt JoDell's house for the night) until midnight, taking long walks along the strand, hiking around tidepools (Kelly actually got in and snorkeled - he had a great time), feast away for Thanksgiving, we took family pictures, toured around the LA temple and, walked around Santa Barbara pier and Promenade.  I'm sure we did more, but our days were so jam packed with stuff, I can't hardly remember it all!  Let's just say, the Sessions know how to vacation.





Letter's from Ty

I thought you'd all like to read a part of Sunday's letter from Ty.  We are fortunate to be able to get letters from him almost every day.  Last week I had a parent/teacher conference for him and he's been doing really well.  When we last saw Ty (the 2nd week of October), he was trying to finish up his sophomore year.  He's now officially into his Jr year and the teachers see him finishing up the first semester of his Jr year by January.  So he should be caught up with school pretty soon.  Go Ty!!!

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November 14, 2010

How have things been? Wanna hear something awesome? I have done a whole semesters worth of english/grammar stuff in a week. I’d a quarter’s stuff in 1 day and I’m working on the last half of a quarter right now. That’s awesome and really fast. I just wish that my math and history could be that fast.

I’ve been thinking so much about missions lately. I want to go to so many places. I think that that coolest thing would be some foreign (mainly European) city. I don’t want to name any in case I jinx it. Crap I just thought of one that would be really cool. Knock on wood for me. For some reason in my mind going on a mission is what kicks everything else off. Once I do that and return life truly begins. I can’t wait for that but at the same time I’m terrified for that to happen. I need to get my stuff straight first. I don’t read or pray daily. I haven’t made that a regular habit yet and it’s something that I really need to start doing. Well I’m going to make a greater effort now to do that.

Okay. I need to go right now. Thanks for reading this guys. Love you all

Ty

Anika

 

 

Anika

Anika...Anika...Anika...Where do we even start with her.  From the very second we heard her scream (when she can into this world), we knew we were in trouble.  Our peaceful, quite, calm life was over and drama reared it's ugly head.

I am SO AWESOME!!!!!! I am like CHEESYMCKFIZZ!!!!!!!! (See what did I tell ya)

Anika is 11 years old and in the 5th grade at Highland's Elementary.  This is her last year in Elementary and I'm not sure she'll even make in into middle school.  Keeping up with Anika is a challenge, but somehow we've found gynmastics.  Kinda interesting, I signed up for a week of gymnastics as a summer camp.  The first day her instructer's called in the head coach and they wanted her in their program.  So for the past few years, gymnastics has been a driving force in Anika's life(9 hours a week).  Just this past year, she's been competing as a level 4 gymnist.  Although she has yet to qualify for the all-arounds, she has consistantly medaled in vault and beam.  She says that vaul is her favorite and she sports around in an "ivault" tee shirt.  Just over a week ago Anika chipped a piece of her elbow while doing a round off back handspring.  Not good.  It has benched her for the past week (with practices centered around the sports conditioning coach - Jay.)  We head off to the Orthopedic doc tomorrow.  We both pray that they won't cast it.  It don't think they will, she has good range of motion.

We love Anika and all the drama she adds to our lives.  Just the other day while I was volunteering at the school book fair, a lady approached me when she found out I was "Anika's mom." She said, " I love Anika!  She has the gift of making others happy - no matter who they are."    That's my Anika.



Rhett

Rhett just turned 14 and is currently in the 8th grade at Pine Hollow Middle School.  This is his last year of middle school and he can't hardly wait to attend high school next year. 

He's into all things screens, but is way pumped to start his weight lifting class this week.  He'll be pumping iron 3 times a week and he can't wait to show off his buffness to all the girls.

As we drove home after church, Anika mentioned that Rhett had been talking to a girl friend online. 
Rhett said, "It's not a girl friend." 
Anika "It is a girl and she is your friend." 
Rhett: "Having a girl friend means that you take her out and I can't do that until I'm 16." 
Anika, "But you date her". 
Rhett, "I haven't taken any girls out." 
Anika, "You go online and talk to her - it's online dating!" 
Kelly, "Ooh Rhett...online dating...I guess you've been inviting her

to go with you into a chat room!" Even Rhett laughed at that one! 

Life is good for Rhett.  He can find good paying work when ever

he wants it and gets paid about as much as Michael and Cory.  He took on the challenge after his Deacon's Quorum advisor told him that he could earn his own money and pay for his mission.  Rhett's pretty good and budgeting his money.  I've been surprised.

Rhett turns 14 !!!

Rhett's 14th Birthday !  His birthday dinner consisted of steak, garlic mashed potatoes and, peas and carrots (much to Anika's dismay, there was no salad to be seen).  Rhett wanted a vanilla cake and ice cream - so I made some dulce de leche to poor on top with whipped cream.  Yum!  Rhett was very excited to hear from family and for presents.  He got an xbox 360 from Shane, Money from me and Kelly and, Anika gave him an internet card to play on line.  Funny, Paul called just as Rhett opened his presents - I think he's just as excited as Rhett.  Soon they'll be playing on line together - like they were never apart! 

Halloween 2010

This is part of a letter Kelly wrote to Ty the on Sunday.  "We went to the Ward Halloween Party last night.  It was a lot of fun to get dressed up.  Mom and I went to the Hospice on Clayton Road looking for costumes and didn't see anything, so then we went to Goodwill also on Clayton Road in downtown Concord.  We looked there forever, and finally came away empty handed.  So as I was pulling the car out of the back parking lot, I saw another store that said it was a thrift shop, so we popped in there and absolutely hit the JACKPOT!  Mom found an old blue-sequined 80's dress with a black silky skirt attached.  She said it was truly hideous and perfect for her outfit, so we asked how much it was and the guy says $2.00!  So then we start looking for something for me, and Mom walks out with this totally pimped mustard-yellow double-breasted suit that was in pristine condition and looking like it had just come back from the dry cleaners.  Amazingly, it fit absolutely perfect, even better than most of my tailored suits, so we asked the guy how much and he says, $4.00!  So, we had our costumes.  I added a white turtle-neck, some gold bling around my neck, a cool hat, some white sunglasses, a purple feather boa and a purple cane, and I was completely styling!  You have to see it to believe it.  Anyway, we had a lot of fun with it.  The funny thing was that I would see guys dressed like this all the time in downtown Oakland when I used to work there.  Rhett dressed up like Men in Black and Anika like a baby and of course they both came home with waaay tooooo much candy!"

Wish I had pictures of Anika and Rhett...Their too cool for picture.