A special day!

Jim and I were sealed in the St. George temple on October 17th. It was an absolutely beautiful day....a complete opposite from our snowy wedding last year. Jim had one of his old professors and mentors, Gary Giles,seal us, which made it a very special occassion. We have had a wonderful year filled with much love and happiness and we look forward to the rest of eternity together. We had many family members and friends join us for our special day and we are so grateful for all the love and support we feel from so many.

Happy 6th Birthday Maddie!

Make a Smilebox photobook

summer fun

By the way....I finally have our blog updated from this summers adventures. Please check out the older posts to see all the updates.

Keith's baptism

Keith is one of the kids from our old neighborhood that became a regular at our house. His parents both work and he has had a bit of a rough background, so I was so proud of him when he decided to be baptized last month. He spent most summer days at our house and came frequently for family night. It was a great experience for the kids to see their positive example make an impact on one of their friends. Keith is such a good kid and has tried very hard to make good choices despite his circumstances. His family has also been trying to implement positive changes. It has helped me gain a great appreciation for the gospel truths and the effect it can have when we apply the principles we have been taught. I have learned a great deal from Keith's example and loved having him in our home.

soccer

Alex and Zacky are playing soccer this summer. Alex's skills have improved a great deal from last year. He plays forward and has scored a couple goals already this season. Zack enjoys running around and stealing the ball from the other players (his own included). He has played goalie a couple times and did a great job.

Scouting awards

Alex recieved his Webelos and Arrow of Light this last pack meeting. Trevor recieved his Wolf badge. They both recieved other pins and belt loops that they earned at day camp this summer. Way to go boys!!!!

Back to school

The first day of school came all too soon this year. Our summer came and went before I knew it. The kids were all excited for school and have great teachers again. Alex is in 5th grade, Trevor is in 4th, Ellie in 3rd, Zack in 1st, and Maddie in Kindergarten. Maddie did not start kindergarten for two weeks after the "big kids" and even though she was not happy about it, I enjoyed spending some time alone with her. When Maddie's first day finally came she didn't even want me to take her....she wanted to ride the bus. While I am grateful for her independence and enthusiasm for school, I was heartbroken. I could hardly believe I was sending my youngest off to school...Jim keeps teasing me about having empty nest syndrome already. I have kept busy but really miss having my kids home.

Our new house

We moved into our beautiful new home on August 15th. We had been patiently waiting to close on this home for three months. It was a short sale, which means the process is anything but short. We are renting our other home to my sister and 4 other college girls. We are loving the quiet neighborhood, the extra space, and the beautiful views.

Alex and Trevor's birthday bash

Alex's birthday is July 9th, Trevors is July 13th, and Jim's mom's birthday is on July 12th so we had a big combined swimming party down at the Douglas's in Hurricane. Everyone had a great time swimming and playing on the big slide. I made the boys a swim cake that turned out to be the source of a lot of laughs. It turned out so cute but traveling in the air conditioned car was no match for the 100 degree weather outside. Needless to say, the cake melted. We decided it was a great example of how we would all look in a few years if we didn't wear sunscreen.

My garden

Jim and I worked very hard to have a garden this year. We moved the kids playhouse by ourselves (mostly Jim's brains and muscles...I can't say I was much help)to give us a bigger garden plot. I was really worried that nothing would grow (as our soil looks like baked clay even after a good soak) but Jim kept telling me to be patient. Our garden has been very productive and we have all enjoyed the fruits(or vegetables) of our labors.