1st Day of School

Another school has arrived and we have all had mixed feelings about it.  Brianna couldn't wait to start and counted down the days.  Ryan was pretty impartial about the whole thing.  And Alyssa has been dreading it.  I think it was more nervousness than anything and she will come to realize that she will enjoy High School a lot more than Jr. High.

I barely had time to take a picture of Alyssa this morning.  In her typical teenage style she slept in as long as possible and barely cracked a smile let alone made it to the bus stop on time.

 The new Freshman:  Alyssa, Makayla and Sadie.  They were a little dismayed that their mothers insisted on pictures now that they are High Schoolers.  But it is tradition after all.

Yes Ryan is a grown-up 6th grader.  Such a handsome and good kid.  Mrs. Gurr is lucky to have him this year.

This was Ryan's favorite part about starting school.  His new shoes.  He is now in men sizes so the sticker shock hit hard but he was thrilled with his purchase.  He is just like his dad when it comes to cool running shoes.

Brianna hasn't been feeling well these last few days.  She was so worried that she wouldn't make it to the first day of school.  But she put on her brave face, said a prayer and was on her way to the 2nd grade.

Too bad I don't have a picture of the 3 of them together.  Like I said,  Alyssa does her own thing now.

Here is looking ahead to a fabulous school year!!

End of Summer Photos

The final days of perfect summer evenings are winding down.  We have had some gorgeous sunsets so I had to take the opportunity to snap a few photos.  This was an unplanned photo shoot so you get the kids looking like they had a full summer day.  But they are still beautiful.

Snow Day Fun

The first "big" snowfall of the season is always a hit.  The kids loved it,  Daddy loved it,  Mommy tolerated it, and Scarlet couldn't get enough of it.

Roger couldn't wait to try out the new sledding tubes he purchased for this type of occasion. 

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

We have been very fortunate that in the last 6 months we have had 2 temple open houses in our area. This is a rare thing anywhere, especially here. The kids were so excited to finally be able to see inside a place they have wondered and heard so much about. We went to the Draper Temple as a family in February. It was quite the production to get there, from parking at various churches to waiting for an hour to watch a video and then boarding a bus to the temple. It was worth it though to see the kids reactions and see their enthusiasm about the various rooms.

Well when the opportunity came to attend yet another one I wasn't quite as enthusiastic to get there. But my kids kept asking to go and then I realized how pathetic I was being. Here my kids were begging to go to the House of the Lord and I didn't want to because of the hassle it would be for me. After that wake up call, I scheduled a time and off we went.

This time around was a little more pleasant. We went early in the morning and it wasn't very crowded. We were able to enjoy our experience and it allowed us to talk more openly about the temple. We felt at peace there and our testimonies were shared. I am thankful that I didn't miss this great opportunity to be with my kids and strengthen our relationships and testimonies.

The temple was gorgeous of course, and the kids especially loved the Celestial room and the mirrors in the sealing room. I hope they always remember the beauty and feelings they had there and put it at the top of their goal list to someday enter the temple. Thanks goodness for my faithful children and their strength to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Red Ledges

Our Idaho cousins are here for a visit this week. It is always great when they come down because it gives us an excuse to go and do things that we don't ordinarily do.

Today was one of those days. We went to a place called Red Ledges. It was up Spanish Fork canyon about 25 minutes from Missy's house. It was gorgeous. The terrain was completely different than the normal mountains. It looked as if we had traveled to St. George or somewhere in Arizona with the red rocks and unusual formations.

It was the perfect place to hike and explore. There were people there repelling down the side of the cliffs which was fun to watch. We counted and hunted over 30 lizards which is always entertainment in and of itself. We attempted to climb up a mountain which was "fun" with so many little kids. We had a great time until we saw some snakes. A few of us are not so fond of them so we headed back down. We ended up seeing 2 different varieties of snakes.

A car stopped to tell us that a black bear cub had just been spotted about a block away. The kids thought that would be cool to see but we had no luck. I was glad because if it was a baby cub then there had to be a protective mother around somewhere.

We have had an amazing spring/summer. Here we are in the second week of June and are still in the low 70's. It is great for hiking and playing outside. Everything is greener than normal and the flowers this year are spectacular. It was a perfect day to be in nature.

Summer Fun

Right now it is 8:30 at night and I am sitting outside on the deck enjoying a perfect summer evening. Ryan is in the backyard playing wiffle ball with the neighbor kids and Brianna is with the other Brianna petting the neighbor's dog. There are sounds of laughter mixed with the sounds of crickets and I couldn't be more content.

I just got back from visiting a neighbor who has pancreatic cancer. She has been fighting it for a year and I think she is finally nearing the end of her battle. I sat and talked with her and her husband for awhile and realized how fragile life can be. I came home somewhat somber and yet so full of gratitude for my life and the good health of my family. This life is a guessing game and you never know what might come your way. I know that I need to enjoy those wonderful moments that seem so simple and yet are so meaningful. At this moment I am so content that I am just enjoying soaking in all the good around me.

Today was the first day in weeks that I haven't had to leave the house for some school event, church obligation or kid commitment. It was so nice to be home and relax during this day. I got a lot accomplished around the house and also had some fun with the kids. It was the perfect balance.

The kids have so much fun doing the simplest things. They are lucky to have so many kids in our neighborhood. They never lack in companionship. Even though my door was constantly being left open and numerous empty water cups were left on my counter top I didn't mind. This is what summer is all about.

One of the highlights of the day was when local firemen came and opened the fire hydrant in front of our home to clean it out. The kids screamed and giggle and loved getting wet. You would have thought it was Christmas. Many kids followed the truck as it moved from hydrant to hydrant. Boy it was fun.

I am sure someday I will look back and long for these times. I am doing my best to appreciate what I have while I have it.