California mission study

Fourth grade is when the kids here learn all about the California missions. So a few weeks ago Spencer talked us into going to the mission just 10 minutes away, which we had never been to.

We did the self-guided tour, which led us through the living quarters. Here's the oven.

I loved all the old materials - brick, stone, and adobe. If we looked super close at the adobe, we could see small fragments of hay used to make it. So cool.


They used sheep hide for window coverings. This mission is one of the few that still has the original intact.

Weaving spindle and looms.

Inside the chapel.

Old doors are the best. This led to the cemetery. My kids love old cemeteries.

The bell tour. More cool stones.

We went after a rainstorm - hence Brennan's muddy knees.

I LOVE these doors. I've decided I really like mission style architecture.

The traditional mission arches.

Funny story: when we first arrived, we could see that there was cactus all over the place. So we warned our kids not to touch the cactus. They do that kind of thing. Then we walked all around and had a great time. But as we were getting back in the car to go home, we saw that Tyler and Brennan were quietly crying. We asked them what the problem was. They said they touched the cactus, and now their fingers were hurting. We asked they why, since we had specifically told them not to. Tyler said they only touched the ones that didn't have spines on them. We explained that they did have spines, but they were too small to see. Dave and I decided this would make a great metaphor, and he ended up using it in his next high council talk. There are some commandments that don't make sense to us or that don't have obvious consequences. But when the prophet warns us not to do something, we need to have faith and follow him anyway.

Then last Friday Spencer's class went on a field trip to the same mission, and I met them there for part of it.

Levi was a huge hit among the students. I just love those big blue eyes.

Then today was their big fiesta, celebrating the end of their study on missions. We all brought Mexican food to share and ate lunch together outside. I was especially grateful for Spencer's interest in trying new foods - he excitedly went around sampling all the different dishes and raving about them. I saw lots of non-Hispanic kids with just chips and cookies on their plates! In making the food assignments, his teacher asked me to prepare a main dish. I thought - how can I compete with the authentic Mexican food the other parents will be making? Spencer wanted me to make something with guacamole, so I made 7 layer bean dip. And it got all eaten up. I specially liked the taquitos and posole. I really need to learn how to make more fun Mexican dishes, besides just tacos and enchilades.