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:)

final word

Brandon Curtis was a great leader and friend to so many even to a new incoming Sophomore California boy!  Stephen lays on is bed in his red gym shorts, no shirt and various markings on his tanned body (that he came home from practice this morning with) such as BC, #30, Cutris, and "do ur best" written accross his knuckles all in the color Red.  We will have moved to Springville 2 weeks ago tomorrow....and already our lives have been changed forever...

The team ran a mile around the track this morning and as they waited for the last boy (a freshman) to finish, a boy got up and went out to meet him, pretty soon the whole team was with him as he finished...they then approached  their coach who had tear-filled eyes.

Coach Mitchell spoke to the boys of stories in the book of mormon and likened the Springville Football team to being built like the barges that the jaredites built, tight like a dish and unbreakable...he said that the storms will ALWAYS come but if they stay tight like a dish they will ALWAYS make it through the storms and stay strong....only in Utah will you find  high school coaches teaching from the book of mormon, bearing their testimonies, and young aaronic priesthood holders invoking the power of the priesthood to be with them as they knelt in prayer in the middle of the parking lot of their high school.

I know we are where we are supposed to be.

cont'

Stephen was very quiet all day yesterday and he continued to recieve updated text messages throught out the evening.  Finally he had recieved so many mixed messages that he decided to get on the computer to see if he could find out what was really happening.  It was about 9:30 and the only connection we can get right now is at my in-laws home.  Since Jeff and Stef just arrived the night before from Kentucky, they were already going to bed.  After a slight emotional outburst from our football player, I decided I needed to take him over to the house to get onto the computer.  Stephen looked up Branden on fb and found him.  But since he was not previously a friend of his he could not get all of the information he felt he needed...and he began to breakdown again.  We tried to find out what might have been reported on the news but there was no new information.  We then went home and at about 10:00 last night Stephen asked me to please take him to the HS as all of the kids were going to the hospital.  So, I took him there and there were many cars leaving to go.  They all sat outside the hospital waiting to hear any news.  At 12:00 last night they came home with no new information. ( I hope Branden knew they were there).  This morning Stephen got up at 6:20 to go to his 6:30 football practice as usual.  But at about 9:00 he came home showered and left for the school again.  He said they had not practiced but were waiting to hear how Branden was doing.  He said they were getting ready to do some tests on him.  My guess is that the team will resume practices as soon as they know how he is.  The whole team(that is all 3 teams) is still there at the school together waiting to hear....

An emotional day for Springville football players...

So, every morning around 11:00 I go to pick Stephen up from football practice at the high school.  As I wait in the parking lot, many of the players are drivng up from another field in their trucks piled with as many football players that can fit comfortably in their vehicles.  So, this morning as I came to pick up Stephen I noticed as we approached the school parking lot that there were people running to one area in the parking lot.  As I looked towards the area they were running towards I could see that there was a Jeep that had rolled and was on its side and their was shattered glass.  I knew immediately what had to have happened...the boys were hurrying into the parking lot and possibly swerved and had rolled the jeep.  As we (my mother in law and I) got closer we could see that as they pulled the jeep over there was one boy who was laying face first on the pavement...my heart sunk!  I began to get very emotional.  As we got closer we could see that many of the football players were just coming on the scene and were red faced and crying.  As we got out and passed by the jeep we could see another boy inside the jeep and blood covering his leg.  I then frantically searched for Stephen who I saw just walking up on the scene.  There must have been at least 100 football players gathered around.  One of the boys was sitting on the ground with a bloody knee, as the rest of the boys all gathered around in a huddle for a prayer,  I went over the the boy sitting by himself and asked him if he was in the car, he said he was the "driver".  He was so upset and I tried to comfort him but he could not stop crying.  The authorities then asked all the boys to please stand back as a helicoper may be coming soon.  I then told one of them about the driver and they came to get him to take him back to where they were tending to the other boys.  It was a very emotional time for all of us.  They finally got all of the boys into the ambulences and they drove off.   There was one boy in particular that they had used blankets to make a wall with to sheild him as they were trying to revive him and he was also taken away.  Soon all of the boys left to go back to their homes.  I was able to hug a couple of these tough football players as they cried in my arms.  I could not even imagine what they must have been feeling.  It was bad enough for me as a mom to wonder "what if that had been my son".  It was a very quiet ride as we drove Stephen back home.  After a couple of hours he announced to me that the boys were going back over to the high school....that's where he is now.  I got a text from him and he said they were writing letters to the boys and that all would be going home tomorrow except one who is in critical conditon.  Many prayers are being said for these boys and their families....please join us.

I love this place!

Springville Utah

Our New Home

back porch and yard that leads to my in-laws home

The view from my back porch leading out into my in-law side yard.

This is a view at the entry way to the house.

One side of my bedroom

The other side

Livingroom

close-up of the bookcases and entertainment center

This is the formal diningroom which we are using as the pianoroom/office

Kitchen

Here's a view showing the kitchen nook.

another view of the kitchen

master  bedroom closet!  I love it! (taken standing in the back of the closet, bigger than it looks here.)

master bathroom

So there it is!  Keep in mind that my father in-law built this home.  I didnt show the boys rooms or the laundryroom area, half bath..will show later.  

And here are my cute frequent visitors Bridger (5) and Reese(3) Brad and Jamie's kids.. arent they super adorable?

I love this place!

Settling in

Well, I'm still unpacking and putting stuff away.  I am loving this house!  I feel spoiled.  I dont think I will ever want to move again.  I thought I would take a break this morning and catch you up to date..or just give you something to read.

Mike's little brother Brad and his family live in the basement of Mom and Dad's house.  It is a complete additional house down there.  Full kitchen, 3 bedrooms, bathroom living room etc.  Brad has been taking care of us since we got here.  He helped us unload everything and then made us dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner again.  He has been such a sweetheart!  He and Jamie have 2 little boys that are adorable and they run in and out of my house all day, they are too cute.  They love to play with the big boys.  Mom and  Dad are out of town right now and I am glad because otherwise they would have worked themselves to death helping us move and get settled.  Instead they are enjoying themselves on a vacation. 

Yesterday, we went to our ward for the first time.  We walked, it's just a block away. We are in Kolob Stake. Kolob 7th ward.  It is a pretty young ward.  Lots and lots of little kids...so cute!  A small youth group.  They only have 2 sunday school classes for the youth.  Only one of the teachers was there yesterday so all the kids were together in the same class about 15 of them.  So, Bryce and Stephen were together.  Bryce is one of 2 deacons and I'm not sure how many Teachers, possibly only 3.  The leaders seem to be pretty excited to have our boys here.


Last night we went to my sister Theresa's for dinner.  Regina and her family and Mom were there.  We had a great meal together and then played a game called "Things"...super fun game.  It was so wonderful to be around family again. 

The mountains are beautiful and I just really feel like I am at home.  I am sure it is because we have so many family members here.  I think we made a good move....even though we miss good ol' California and our ward and stake back home. 

Back to unpacking........