Back to School

The summer really flew by. It seemed like yesterday that the kids were just getting out of school. Davey and Kella were ready to go back ... they love school and I'm sure that the summer was too long for them. Davey is excited to be in the 5th grade and it's hard to believe that Kella is already in the 3rd grade. When we moved to Bakersfield she was only 4 years old and still in preschool.

More Pictures From Grandma and Grandpa's Visit

Joshua and Grandpa really got along well. Joshua's preferred place at the beach was as far from the water as possible (I think he rode on someone's shoulders as much as he could).

Grandma and Grandpa walking the 100 stairs down to the beach from the hotel with Elyssa. Going down was the easy part.

The hotel also had a game deck with ping pong, badminton, and a large chess board. Davey and Kella liked the ping pong and wanted to play all the way to check out time.

Lyssie figured out that riding on Grandpa's shoulders was more fun than the stroller and much easier than walking herself. She was happy most of the trip, but we couldn't get her to smile for the pictures. As you might ascertain from the look on her face ... she's actually the one in control.

Lyssie is such a good hand-holder when she's not running or riding. This is her and Grandma on the pier at Avila Beach.

We have a hundred more great pictures from the trip. If anyone wants to see them, let me know and I can burn you a disk or send more in an email. Just let me know.

We really enjoyed everyone who came out to visit for Kella's baptism. The older kids played well with the younger kids and liked hanging out with the rest of the family. It was nice to just sit around and shoot the breeze or just enjoy each other's company. Hopefully we'll have more opportunity to do this more frequently down the road. The kids liked being around their grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins. Thanks to everyone who came out to California!!!

Pismo Beach With Grandma and Grandpa

During Grandma and Granpa's visit we took a few days and went out to the coast. One of our favorite places is Pismo Beach. We eat at our favorite BBQ restaurant (Mo's BBQ) and then hang out at the beach for the rest of the day. Little Lyssie really loved the water ... especially walking with Grandma and Grandpa. She eventually got to the point where she wouldn't hold anyone's hand and ran out into the water. She's a lot braver than Joshua, who is just content playing in the sand and staying as far away from the water as possible.

Grandma and Grandpa on Pismo beach with the pier in the background.

Three generations ... Donald David Doll Jr ... III ... and the IV.

Grandma coaxed Josh into the water ... but as soon as she let go he ran all the way back up to our beach chairs and his shovel and pail. I think the water must have been too cold for him. He preferred the hot tub back at the hotel.

The water was actually great. The first few minutes were cold, but once you got used to it you could play in it all afternoon. We walked the beach the next morning and the water still felt really good. We prefer the water in August rather than in February. You can tell a difference. Everyone at least put their feet in the water ... some of us more than that. It was a great day at the beach.

Amy and Kella ~ Baptism: 1980 and 2008

Amy and Kella on their baptism days ... 28 years apart.

Machella's Baptism

Machella was absolutely beautiful the morning of her baptism. She wore the dress Grandpa Mark and Grandma Mindy sent her. She was so excited to get baptized.

Joshua wouldn't cooperate when we tried to take family pictures outside the church. He would much rather run around than pose for his big sister.

This was an exciting moment for both of us. Machella was baptized twice because she didn't go all the way under the water (my fault). The second time I did it I pushed her all the way to the bottom of the font. At least she'll remember that she was baptized twice. I confirmed her and the other priesthood holders who stood in the circle were ... Grandpa Doll, Uncle Jay, Bishop Bramwell, Mike Nicholas (our hometeacher), and Dan Price (my friend from work). It was totally awesome to baptize and confirm such a wonderful girl who is part of our eternal family.

Machella with Grandpa and Grandma Doll after her baptism. We also had Aunt Jenn, Aunt Ali, and her cousins Zoe and Noah visiting for the baptism.