Still in Porterville

The next morning we were getting ready to head home to miss the Thanksgiving traffic.
Terry Perry (our former neighbor & family friend) showed up with Eric & his daughter Isabella.
She is a cute one. Gotta love those curls.

Me & Isabella
Me & Terry

The Batten-Denner Family

Early Family Thanksgiving & Christmas

Well, with us moving to North Carolina (and not really knowing when) & Uncle Bob not being in good health, we all made plans to head to Porterville a few days before Thanksgiving to celebrate our family Christmas. It has been going on for the last several years & I really enjoy it. We were there with Grandma & Papa, Aunt Leslie & Papa Rick, Steve, Steph & the kids, Shane (Erika couldn't make it, Aunt Billie & of course, Aunt Dathel, Uncle Bob & Robert. This year Uncle Bob's kids in town so and we were happy to have them join the fun.
Not only did we get to play outside but we had a blast inside singing & unwrapping gifts.
There are a lot of pictures so not all of them will have captions.
Enjoy!
Love,
Jake

Cute Havi & Silly Me

Havi taking the pitcher's mound with protection from the fence.
I can't blame her with the way I hit.

If you look closely I am swinging a bat.

Havi the pitcher.

Ellery getting a horsey ride from Aunt Dathel.

Me & Ellery dancing.
This went on for a while & we were very entertaining.
Just look.

Dog pile on Gaige & Havi.

Havi with her Hannah Montana Headset.

Aunt Billie, Aunt Leslie & Ellery coloring.

Me playing with one of my new remote control cars.
This one was Tony Stewart.

Ellery trying on her High School Musical headset.

Family Picture Time
Shane, Mom & Steph

The Stewart's
Steve, Steph, Gaige, Havi & Ellery.

The Denner's
Dad, Mom & Me

The Bua - Stewarts

Mom, Aunt Dathel, Steph & Shane

Aunt Dathel & Robert with the Denner-Bua-Stewart Clans

Aunt Dathel & Aunt Billie with us.

Me relaxing after the photo shoot.

Watching a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Papa & I racing my cars.
I had Tony & He had Jimmie Johnson

Telescope

I made a telescope!
Mom had wrapped a gift & she let me play with the tube & I decided I wanted to check out the stars so I stuck it in the dining room chandelier & had myself a telescope. Pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.
Love,
Jake

Banquet

Here is a picture of mom & dad in the hotel before heading down to the banquet.
Aren't they a great looking couple?
No wonder I am so cute.
Love,
Jake

Banquet Day

The day of the banquet & mom & dad were getting ready to head up to Universal City. Grandma got a couple of pictures of us. She also got our picture with Papa Don, which turned out to be our last picture with him.
Keep checking back.
Love,
Jake

Dad, Me, & Mom

Papa Don, Me, Dad & Mom

Pomona Race - Final Day

We had a very full weekend during the final race at Pomona. Not only was it dad's last race with Worsham Racing, but they didn't qualify which is always a bummer, but we had wild fires burning all around us.
On the brighter side we had Papa Don visiting from Kansas, Aunt Les & Uncle Rick visiting from Northern California. Plus, with mom & dad having to go to the banquet Monday evening, Grandma came down to stay with me & Papa Don.

Playing with my race cars at the track.

Being silly.

Love for daddy after a rough day.

Making cupcakes with Grandma.

Love licking the bowl

Can you tell I got into the chocolate?

Frosting!

I love cupcakes!

So Yummy!

So Cal. Fires

The southern California fires made an appearance in Chino Hills, as well as Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar, & Anaheim Hills. We were pretty much in the best possible place considering. We were accessible to Pomona Raceway (so dad could get to work fairly easily) via surface streets & The 71. The 71 was shut down between The 91 & The 57 which dead ends into both of those freeways. So we were in our own little area. Another plus was that the fires were on the other side of the freeway & had a lot of homes & businesses to go thru. Our first concern was Del, Connie & the girls who were on the fire side of the freeway & eventually got evacuated about 10pm. Their home survived just fine.

Papa Don said he would much rather be in Kansas with tornado's. Not sure about that one. Mom, Dad, Aunt Leslie & Papa Rick weren't sure how worried to be. Mom, Aunt Leslie went for a drive while I stayed back home with Papa Rick & Papa Don. The day time pictures are the one's mom & Aunt Les took driving around the area we used to live in (Our condo 2 exits south of our current exit) & in Del & Connie's area on the other side of the freeway. The night pictures were taken by Papa Rick between 3-4AM when they looked out my window. They stayed in my room & we moved my bed into mom & dad's room.

By our old condo.

On the road leading to Del & Connie's.

Inside Del & Connie's community

Fires from my bedroom window.

They were setting back fires that looked a lot closer than they really were.