life

Joe and I went hunting on Saturday 9-21 for elk and had a wonderful time together. We went to a place that we have never been to before and kind of had to just explore. We saw plenty of deer and turkey and cattle tracks but no elk. Until the last 30 min we finally heard them. They were staying hidden in the forest right in front of us. We wouldn't have been able to narrow the gap because we would have needed to go across a field to get to them. It was also right before sun down, and didn't have a way to go around without being seen.
We had a blast and would enjoy very much doing that again. Now what to do with the kids... Baby sitter was very expensive for 17 hrs! picture when I find it. Found some!

Thank you Joe I love being with you. You are truly my best friend and I so enjoy being with you

Bagles

I love the fact that I can find beautiful Gluten free foods in the store for Tyler. I love the fact they look just like the real thing so he doesn't feel left out. The down side is when he finds the real ones and thinks they are his. A few weeks ago he had an English muffin and loved it and then took a bite of one that wasn't his. I know I must confuse him, because sometimes I'll make GF corn bread, GF garlic biscuits, even cake or muffins that we all eat. I just feel bad when he has helped himself and then it hurts his body.
I loved seeing his face this morning when I gave him his first bagel with cream cheese. It made me a little teary. He looked at me with big eyes while he was chewing and lovingly said DELICIOUS!!! I guess I get so moved because I think that we all can take it for granted the things we eat and to really find something that tastes so good GF has been hard to find. Now I really need to perfect the art of making my own flour so it wont break the bank to get the flour I need to make him good food.

last of summer and back to school 10

Probably the picture I would send out to everyone for Christmas. Since we now don't have a photographer/friend where we live.:( Well we had some better of everyone else, but Tyler was lying upside down and face in my lap for the rest.

Fun to have another picture of Joe and I. I liked this one.

Mom and Layne came and we went to Crater Lake and had tons of fun. Lots of driving for the weekend, but we enjoyed the time together in the car. We had 2 cars so we would take turns where we would sit to talk to each other.

Grandma and Grandpa with 4 of the kids.

The dark blue is the clouds on the water. the water is so clear. Maybe we will hike to the water next time.

First day of school Sam, 5th grade, Adam 3rd grade. Johnny will start next week.

A few weeks ago, Joe took this deer on the first day of archery. A good amt of meat in the freezer.

Grandma and Grandpa with Tyler in the redwoods. We also went to the beach and didn't seem to remember the camera there. Too bad we had some fun moments there.

We had a wonderful Memorial weekend with my mom and Layne. They drove 12 hours here and spent 3 days here and we drove to the redwoods, coast and to crater lake. We drove about 2 hours each direction. I know we had a lot of driving but the time together was really fun and beats sitting at home all day.

I am so glad they took the time to come out here. Living far from family can sometimes be hard expecially in getting to know eachother. The kids grow so much and if too long of time passes, the younger kids forget those they have met. Sometime we will live closer to family again. I am really glad we got to see them and really miss them.

We had a wonderful summer with all the adventures locally and hopefully many more memories to come.

Kids went back to school yesterday and had a great time. I was a little nervous, kind of like sending off the kindergardner, excitement was also a strong emotion I felt for them. I hope they enjoy this school as much as they did in Wyoming.

updates

I can see I have been very delinquent in my writing. Not that I have been very good it it in the first place. Summer is still going on over here. We have until after Sept 7th to start school. I guess since home schooling, vacation has not been so needed. We definitely had more time on our hands and saw each other all the time. The kids will start public school again in the fall. They really wanted to meet friends and I don't blame them. I just need to choose the school. I really enjoyed having the kids home but they have made the decision. I always said they could if they wanted to.
We have had Sammi's friend over for at least one day a week for the summer. We have had her over for 3 and still were all getting along. Sometimes Sammi needs a nap after she goes home, she gets cranky sometimes. I need a nap most days:). jk. some.
We went to Joe's uncles funeral in Georgetown, CA the first weekend in Aug. We had a good time visiting with family. When we lived in Sacramento, Joe and I would always visit this family and became good friends with Joe's cousins that lived in town. We visited for Christmas and Thanksgiving and got together for different things. It was good to see them all again. Garner will sure be missed.
After I called up Laurie and found out she was planning a trip to the mall that was across the road from our hotel. Sammi and I went with her and Ananda to shop. We had fun and both of us thought even though it has been 6 years since we have seen each other, it didn't seem like any time has passed. Just kids growing up. We went over to her house for dinner and had a blast. I really have missed her.
I have not been reading as mush as I was wanting to in the summer. I guess that will have to wait till school starts again. I have watched a few movies I am enjoying again. I know the romantic in me or something, I have enjoyed dr. quinn and watched anne of green gables. Maybe it's a life so foreign that intrigues me.
Speaking of, I have met a woman here that I have really loved getting to know. Her name is ruby. She is from the Philippines and she and her family live here for 6 months and there for 6 months. She is very interesting and I love learning things from her.
Joe is doing well at work. Of course the ins and out of a new job are there, but he is doing great and getting things done others have not been able to do. Joe is going out hunting when he can, serving our church in driving a pear picking truck, serving in cub scouts, finnishing up school hopefully by the end of the year, if he can clep out of some classes he could be done in 2 months, and being home every night. We are SOOO happy.
I have more pictures to share of some more fun times we are having but are on the camera Joe has with him. My mom and step dad will be coming out in less than a month and we are counting down the days for their arrival.







Went bowling as a family, and bowling with me and the kids a few times. Together as a family was MUCH better and less hectic.

John and Tyler made army spiders. Laurie gave these to us and the kids are having a blast.

Joe has been asked to drive the pear picking truck for the church's only pear Orchard. The pears provide all of the pears given to those in need throughout the world through the bishops storehouses. It really makes the importance of serving that much more important. I guess Joe's service, my support.

Blackberry eating faces of Ty and Ian

Sammi went with Joe to the range. She sat there and watched the target the whole time. She would tell him little to the right or right on that time...

At the beginning of the summer unloading the first load of wood.

We had a play date. 10 boys and 1 girl. I was the only adult. Another girl came later to play with Sammi. It was a good day and the kids got along really well.

The trail camera took lots of pictures of the deer and this was one I liked.

Coyotes

Johnny and Adam helping to put up the trail camera

Fun times at the park. We go there often and hardly remember to bring out the camera.
One of the many tricks Adam does. Couldn't capture all of them. The whole blog would be of him and all the tricks I could miraculously capture on still photos.

Ty and Ian played in the sand in the baseball field throwing it on each other and digging holes, while we played touch football

Johnny and Ty collecting shells

Michael and Paul visited

Here are some pictures of what we have done the last few weeks. Paul, Joe's dad came with our nephew Michael. We had a wonderful time being together. More pictures to come.

11 Years

Well these didn't load the way I wanted but they are here. This picture is taken a few months ago.

This picture was one of the first pictures Joe and I took together before we were married. We went to a cabin of Matt and Lisa parent's and we had a blast there.

This picture is of a few minutes after we came out of the temple. Joe's cousin's husband followed us around taking pictures for us. He was not the photographer we paid to come take our pictures, that man came 3 hours after our wedding.

A fun picture

We loved this picture. The tree was uprooted when the tornado came to SLC a few months later. The tree is no longer there.

This is a trip Joe and I went on with Matt and Lisa to St George. We were engaged and had a wonderful time there.

Another picture of us when we went to St George.

Eleven years have gone by so fast. I am so happy we are married. I couldn't ask for anyone that would love me more. Thank you for all you do to make our life better everyday. Thank you for making me smile and laugh everyday. Thank you for balancing me, being the one I can always come to if I need to talk and help me work my ideas and thoughts out with.

I know we have had ups and downs everyone does. I am grateful we have been able to do them together. I am glad you are happier than you have ever been. You remind me of that almost everyday. I am glad we have forever.

Thank you for our beautiful children. I sure am glad we decided to have each one of them. They bring such joy to to both of us. Thank you for being a great dad.

Many more adventures await us, and I am excited to have this life and the next to share them with you.

Happy 11th Anniversary!

movie of Ian

the kids thought this was funny and thought I should share it. I don't know if the sound will come out very well, the sound was loud in the car. its a miley syrus song.