Playing with my little sister again!

Theresa has been dieing for me to move to Utah ever since she moved here about 5 years ago!  I really never had any desire to move to Utah and Mike certainly didn't either.  But after Michael left on his mission and everyone (it seemed) was moving there, I suddenly had a great desire to join them.  

Theresa and I are especially close and when our kids were little we spent a lot of time together playing and having fun.  Not to mention all the years growing up together as little girls, then we became teenagers and we fought like cats and dogs!  We were so different from eachother that we just couldn't stand eachother.  Then we became Mother's and we've been the best of friends ever since!  Now we get to play again!  And I love it!  She lives in Herriman so it's about a 50 minute drive north to go and see her but it is awesome!  

Yesterday we spent some time here at this new little man-made lake they have created in Herriman about 5 minutes from her house.  The kids didnt want to go so she and I got to spend time together, just us being girls!  Reminded us of the good ol' summer days while we were in high school, we spent many many days at Folsom lake...tanning, burnning, hanging out with friends (separately of course).  I love it when we get together because we share stories of those days, and I always learn something new about her.

Fun times!

 Here's to many sister play dates to come Theresa! 

A Temple assignment

Yesterday while Stephen was at football practice,Mike, Bryce and I had the great opportunity to go up to Heber Valley Girls camp to work.

(this picture taken as we approached the camp...yes, those are the yw value colors)

We spent most of our time picking up and loading logs that had been cut from trees that had either fallen down or had been cut down.

We had an assembly line going most of the time loading these logs into the truck...Mike just stood by and watched me work...mostly...jk;)

Some of the logs were way too heavy for one person to carry and so they had this contraption to help.  This is where the other girl (who was pregnant-what a trooper;) and I got to sit in the shade and watch. 

Many of the senior couples who are called there have their own ATV's and their own very large trailers that they take up there and some stay in cabins the entire time they are there.  It is so peaceful up there.

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the camp because it is very large and quite beautiful up there.  There are some 8,000 acres of land that the church owns and it has some ropes courses and several cabins and pavillions where they hold many sessions of girls camps in the summer, boys winter camps and you can also schedule your family reunion there.

There are senior couples who are called to this mission...yes, it is a mission.  Some of them are local and work a couple of days a week there to relieve the couples who have been called for 18 month missions and take their p-days.  This is Elder Anderson and Sister Bunnell who supervised us yesterday.  They told us so much about the camp.  They said that the camp was actually dedicated as a temple so that all the girls who come there and those who work and visit would grow closer to their Saviour.  They said they had seen many miracles happen there.  They promised us that as we went home to tell people that we were on a temple cleaning assignment... and they promised us that we would be blessed and would feel peaceful as we went home that  day.

Here was the group of us from our stake. 

 It was a great experience and we were all so glad we got to go on that temple assignment.

p.s.when we got home bryce went to football practice and said he did better than he ever had and

Mike recieved a random call from california and found out that we a refund check being sent our way...Brother Anderson was right....

correction:  8,000 acres....oops!

Goodbye Summer:(

When summer ends it's time to say goodbye to so many things.  Including those wonderful free apricots I  got to pick from a neighbors tree...which made the best apricot jam!  There are so many wonderful things about summertime and now it is coming to an end.  This summer in particular I am sad to say goodbye because I know that life will not be the same in a drastic way this year since we have moved here to Utah.

It has been a blast seeing family and being with mine as well as Mike's family since we moved here.  It has been like a vacation for several weeks and it has been a wonderful time of reunion with so many people whom I love so much. 

However, it is time to get serious and start planning and preparing for the next several months ahead as the kids start school and Mike and I continue to look for employment while trying to keep our heads above water...so to speak:)  Mike has been fortunate to work pretty regularly with his brother, but still he is not in a stable job.  I am hoping to land a job with the school district so cross your fingers for me.  

Mike's folks have been great!  They have been so gracious and helpful as we have been able to move into this house without having a mortgage as of yet.  But it is time to get busy and settle down and make a permanent life for us here.  I do love Utah so much and I am so glad to be here.  We love our ward and they seem to be glad to have us.  Stephen gave a talk in sacrament meeting yesterday and so now everyone knows who we are....they say Stephen and I look like twins..."twins"? lol!  

p.s. Stephen's talk was on "The Temple" and so he gave an opening story about when he attended EFY last week, before the dance, the leaders were teaching appropriate dance etiquette and inappropriate dance etiquette. 

Inappropriate etiquette:

Talk about yourself and how wonderful you are, look around at all the other people you hope to dance with and ignore your dance partner.

Appropriate etiquette:

Get to know eachother and ask questions, look at eachother and make a new friend.

EXAMPLE

Boy:  "So, what is your favoirite temple?"

Girl:  "The Salt Lake Temple"

Girl:  "What is your favorite temple?"

Boy:  "I'm holding her"...

Smooth huh?

The Boys of Fall

This is Bryce's first year of Tackle Football.   I have mixed emotions about this.

I discouraged Micahel from playing football because I was afraid he would get hurt, but he did play basketball during high school, was good at it and loved it!  Now that we have become this football family, I regret discouraging Michael from playing because I think he would have been a great football player.  Bryce is excited but still trying to figure out what poisition he likes and if this game is really for him.  I think he will do great and I'm so excited to watch him play!

Stephen on the otherhand is a football player through and through.  This past week they have been working on different plays and he has been having a blast! Coming home with a big smile on his face every day. He is a sophomore and they have been scrimaging with the freshman.  He has been "BEAST" as he would say, however, I think the coaches could see that and so yesterday they started having him play with the Varsity team and he came home looking like this.  I laughed so hard...you have to know Stephen.  He is very competitive and he can't quite take down the "big boys" like he could the kids he own age.  So, who knows where he'll end up. 

I just love my boys of fall!

I absolutely love this video! Hope you love it too...Cant wait for football season to begin!


(dont forget to go to the bottom of the page and pause my playlist before watching this video)

The fruits of his labor

28 Years ago August 1st Mike and his companion Elder Kramer baptized this family in Argentina.  They are the Chaparro family.

Last weekend these 2 missionries were able to reunite with this wonderful family here in Utah.  Unfortunately the father has since passed:(.  This is the bunch that live here in Utah now (shown with Elder Nelson and Elder Kramer)

 We had no idea that they lived here until about a month or so ago.  Now that we are here, we have been able to visit with them and last weekend they held a special bbq on behalf of "their missionaries".  We also watched a slide show of pictures from these 2 missionaries.  The family was so excited!  They are the nicest and most loving people you will ever meet!  The youngest daughter married a Nelson (not related as far as we know).  The original family actually consists of mom, dad and 4 girls and 2 boys (only part of the family is shown here) 2 girls still live in Argentina.  We had a blast getting together with them.  They are so humble and so grateful to these 2 missionaries for bringing them the gospel.  There is nothing better than sharing the gospel with someone.  This is just he icing on the cake!

This is how they have grown...some family members missing.

And this is the whole bunch of us!

To see the fruits of your labor is truly a tender mercy of the Lord.

A fun filled week of family

Crawdad fishing

Jeff, Stef, Max, Sam and Bryce

Lovely arent they?

First time Sophia actually held one...she couldnt bare to look

yes, we ate them!  in this stew...didnt taste like much...

Bryce and Max shooting bow and arrows

Hung out at Grandma and Grandpa's watching movies

Got to see Brad and Jamie get married at Stephie and Ryan's in Highland on Saturday

such a good looking wedding party!

All the boys

All the wives

Such a cute wedding, Such a cute family!

We even had some special visitors on Saturday, our Bishop's family from Sacto!

We love the Hogge's! They can come visit us anytime!

On Sunday we attended Beth and Adam's blessing of their first little baby Dexter.

My niece Tamra was there with her kids too (here she is holding Rex)

and here are Layla and Joey!

I always love getting together with my sisters!

On Monday we dropped the kids off at EFY

We had an eventful week that's for sure.

oops!

Okay, that was so stinkin' scary!  Almost home from Salt Lake and someome tried to merge into my lane and I tried to slightly merge onto the shoulder of the road until she saw me, after which she would realize I was already there and would just stay in her own lane. But NOOOO she kept coming into my lane...so I quickly jerked over and my car decided to spin and fall backwards off of the shoulder of the road where they are doing road work.  So, this was during 5:00 traffic and I was scared out of my mind...the kids say I said a bad word...but I dont remember doing that...I dont say bad words....not usually...or it's been a loooong time anyway:)