Summer Fun in Kingman

Here's a taste of what we've been up to this summer.

Cowboys through and through

Mass craziness at the pool

Sam's joint 3rd b-day party cupcakes

Wild West Shootout in Chloride

How my boys enjoyed said Wild West Shootout in Chloride

Swimming on the back patio

Hiking near Bullhead City

Fun with Hyrum in the pool

Helping mommy make treats

Good brothers always share the beater

Traditions Live On

You would have had to grow up at my house to understand the significance of these pictures....but traditions definately do live on. There's nothing like a summer night wiffle ball game in the backyard!

And - of course - you have to lay your clothes out before your first day of school. It's a must.

Isaac's First Day of Preschool!

I am so excited and happy about Isaac's first day of preschool! He is so ready and excited to go....and truth be told....he needs more social interaction than I can provide him. So - he's going to a preschool at a member's house in another ward. There are 6 boys in the class.

He wasn't even really nervous the first day. He was just excited! I was so proud of him! It will be so good for him to go to school and it's fun for me to have some alone time with Sam while he's gone.

Here are some of the projects he did on his 1st day.

Does Anyone Still Care?

I never post to my blog anymore....so I don't know if anyone still checks it anymore. Should I still keep posting????

Grand Canyon

Back in April we had our first house guests to our home in Arizona!!! Jes' mom and sister's family came to visit us. We went to the Grand Canyon while they were here. It was fun....but also a little scary. We had 5 adults and 5 children under age 5. There are a lot of spots where there is no fence or railing on the edge. It's a little scary to think about a kid falling over the edge. Little did I know that the one I had to worry about was my oldest child....Jes!

Sunny California

Over Memorial Day Weekend we decided to go visit Jes' sister in California and go to Sea World. We had such a great time there!!! But I kept forgetting my camera, so the only pictures we got were at Sea World. We also went to the beach and had so much fun! The rest of the trip got cut short because Isaac got sick. Here's the recap of the trip to Sea World.

My New Obsession

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this vanilla almond granola....on everything! Yogurt, ice cream, strawberries...it doesn't matter....I'm obsessed. Thanks for introducing us Amy. I can tell that this love affair is going to last a while.

The Beans Are Being Spilled!

So.....in case someone out there who actually reads my blog hasn't heard. We have moved!!! To Arizona!!! Jes got a new job just before Christmas. He is now working for American Woodmark. They manufacture kitchen and bath cabinets, and he is a Value Stream Manager. He left to start the job in the beginning of January, and I stayed behind in Utah to try to sell our house. The reason I haven't said anything online about this before now was because I didn't want any "creepies" to know that I was home alone without a husband!
Needless to say - the last 3 months have been hard on us all. Jes and I were both lonely, the boys missed their daddy, and mommy had a hard time being the "single parent" for so long. Luckily we are blessed with great family and wonderful friends who took pity on us. We had a lot of invitations for dinners, play-dates, and also a lot of listening ears and shoulders to cry on. Thanks everyone!!!
But, thankfully, the separation is over! We are now homeowners in Arizona (and still Utah). We are loving being together as a family again, though some of us, me and Isaac in particular, are missing home a lot. But I'm sure we'll start feeling better soon.
The house we bought needed a little help, so we are in the process of painting right now - so I won't post pictures until it's done - so you'll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime - if anyone knows of someone looking for a home to buy in Utah - I know a great one...and the seller's are willing to deal!

Girl Trip to St. George

Last year my dad took the boys in the family to Alaska for a week to fish, so this year my mom took the girls to St. George for a weekend. I know what you are thinking....this is so not even close to being fair. Although the boys did spend a lot more time away and a lot more money, we did the best we could with our circumstances.

We stayed at the Inn at Entrada, right near Snow Canyon, which made for amazing scenery, like this off our back patio.

We spent the first day at the spa - we each got to choose 3 treatments. I went with Heavenly Hair (which was exactly like it sounds!), a hot stone massage (A-MAZ-ING), and a pedicure. It was great to be pampered! That night we went out to a fancy dinner at the Country Club. I ordered a $32 steak and thoroughly enjoyed it! Here's all of us after we stuffed ourselves.

We stayed up late that night playing games and talking and laughing. The next day was devoted entirely to shopping, which was fabulous! Then we ordered in Chinese Food and watched a movie.

It was such a great weekend and a wonderful time to spend with my mom, sister, and sister-in-laws. I especially enjoyed getting to be with everyone without having the interruptions that children always bring with them. We actually got to start and finish full conversations! It was especially nice for me to get away, considering what has been happening over the last few months. More on that to come.....stay tuned.

Wish us luck!

First showing on our home today! Let's all pray that they love it and offer us more than our asking price!!!!! (That's not too much to ask for, is it?)