School is in

Here we are back in Augusta GA! The kids started school at Lewiston Elementary about 3 months ago...ya I'm just getting to blogging about it. The kids were nervous when we dropped them off. And I was nervous they wouldn't have a good day and things were going to be difficult. Because the last new place we had dropped them off, it had taken them about 6 months to fully reach that comfortable place. So when they came home on the school bus, we were elated to see how happy they were!! Nothing made my day better then to see them soo happy after a day at a new school! Now as I am writing, we are packing up and getting ready to move to UT to start another adventure (we'll call it that). We have decided for Blake to attend school back west near family. I should be happy that we are getting to live by family...but as a parent you worry about how your kids will adjust. And we have made some good friends here and the kids have adjusted soo well. I have been looking for some comfort in our decision to move. And as I am thinking about our experiences here.....this one is reassuring me that, my kids will be fine. Our heavenly father loves us and will never leave us, we just need to put more faith in him. I am still looking for comfort, but just remembering this will help me move just a little more forward with our life decision. As President Monson said " It is better to look up"!!! :) And that is what I intend to do!!! I might add though, the kids have made some really good friends, but they are very excited to live by G&G's!

The kids came home on Friday...they're last day of school (sadly I did not get a picture) and I was a little sad. The older our kids get, the harder the moves become. I hope and pray, that some day soon, we will be able to offer our kids a little more stability, if not for them then for me!!!!

And here are the pictures of the kid's first day of school. I have really enjoyed our time here, so has our little kinder!

On to new adventures!!!!!

Summer fun

We had an eventful summer this year. I might add maybe too eventful! However the kids had fun none the less. Our summer started at Grandma Thorne's house, where the kids played on water slides, went to water parks, lemonade stands with candy, hiking, camping, fishing, and ate all you can eat snow cones!! You name it we did it this summer!! The kids had a lot of fun, but most of all it was soo good being able to see family and just enjoy their company for almost 2 months. This is just a little glimpse of how our summer went!

We went to a fun little water park (FREE!) by Grandma's house! The Grant jumped right in with the fun....the girls had contemplated whether or not it was a good idea.

Sydney got a slip n slide for her birthday...this was the first and last time they got to use it because they broke. The slide did serve it's purpose...the kids had a blast! All the neighborhood kids joined in to make it all the more fun!

She makes ice cream look soo good!!

The joys of being a grandma! They are the best when they are sleeping. Blake and I stumbled on that realization when Olivia was born. To this day, every night Blake and I sneak on the kids while they are sleeping and just relish the beauty of our children. They are so peaceful when they are sleeping!

Took a hike up to Timpanogos Cave with just the 2 older kids, Kenzie and G&G. They kids did amazing for the 1 1/2 miles up straight hill.

The hike was pretty tough up hill, but the view was amazing at the top!!

Just before heading to Idaho to visit my family for a couple of wks. I helped the girls set up a lemonade and candy station, where I think they may have made $5! They got the idea from the boys who were making bank off of some candy.

If there was one thing my kids learned this summer, it would be that, to go into business with a friend, there needs to be legal papers involved. That is all.

Sydney's 2 loves this summer...new baby cousin Isabella, and Daisy, you could also include Harley...but that is a story in it self. She basically just loves anything that is small and she can torture..er i mean smother to death. Sydney has a lot of love to give.

Camping at Stanley lake with my WHOLE family! It was really nice to be able to share some laughs, and good times!

Kids never strayed too far from camp...the frogs near by were way too distracting.

mmmmm dinner!!!

Sydney is having a melt down because daddy is out on the boat and she wants to go with. Funny girl!

Ya, Mitchell got it pretty good!

Cousins birthday party! Since the kids never are able to get together for birthdays or hardly any occasions, we planned a party in honor of the kids and their relationships with one another We had a jumpy house and everything for the kids, they had fun!!

Even though our family feels like this most of the time, I am so grateful for being able to eventually get our feelings out on the table and work through any problems! Families are fun, and I feel our family knows how to have fun with each other!

We had a fun and very eventful summer, and were so grateful for being able to see our family and spend much needed time with them. I wish to some day be close enough to them all, where the drive is not unbearable and the the plane tickets are unbelievable. But for now, we will take what we get!

The Grand canyon is very GRAND!!

We got back from Germany June 27th and Blake got back the 1st of July just before Sydney's birthday party. The following week we took a much needed (sarcasm) vacation down to the south of Utah where we got to experience the fun of the Zion national park, the Grand Canyon, and then Bryce canyon! In that order....it was completely MAGNIFICENT!!! Our first stop was Zion National Park. It took us a mere 5hrs to travel there, so when we got there we stretched our legs then set up camp. After camp was all set up we took a little adventurous hike up to the top of a mountain that overlooked the campground, also said to have had a indian house on top of the hill. Much to our disappointment, there was just dirt and a historical marker saying that once there was a house. And then we took the kids swimming in the creek that flowed through the canyon which is what gave the beautiful canyon is greenery and life that would otherwise not exist. Here are some cute photos to show just how much fun we had!!!

At the river floating down, no Blake and I did not get in...it was cold, and we didn't know when we would get our next shower....we're getting too old!

The kids were finding lizards all over the place, it was the highlight of the hike. That night the kids said the heard coyotes, but Blake and I never heard a thing.

The next day we hiked the Emerald pools trail, and we were pleased with our choice. The kids did really well for a 3 mile hike. Once we got to the top there were tadpoles in the pools and the kids had fun watching them.

Well there you have Zion National Park!!! Wonderful place to visit...the shopping looked really fun too!!

Off we went to the Grand Canyon (north rim) which was only 2hrs away, and we got to drive through Colorado City....nice place to live...if you're a Polygamist. I was intrigued!
We camped out 2 nights just outside the gates to the North Rim. And here are some more pictures of this beautiful place.

Anybody got a hose...cause this girl needs a bath!!! But then again...camping will do that to you. It is going to be hard for me to get back to actually bathing my kids and making them look presentable after this summer of none stop camping.

Hot dog's and s'mores is on the menu...the staples to camping!

Such a happy little camper!!

I have always had a fear of taking our kids to the Grand Canyon, and this kid made me realize just exactly why. He was just crawling on all the rocks, and going nuts near the edge, about gave me a heart attack.

Working on their Jr. Park ranger badges!

Best buds!

Beautiful ending to a really great day!!

Our last trip was up to Bryce Canyon. We stayed 2 nights there and finally got a shower! It was FABULOUS!!! The first night we hiked about 3 miles with the kids down into the canyon and the kids did sooo amazingly good! Sydney walked the whole time, talking mostly about bears! Never knew a kid could say so much about bears. We also while we were there met a few ppl to make the time more fun! The kids had really fun with their kids, so much fun that when it was time to leave all the girls were in tears when they said good bye. It was actually humorous to me how fast kids can make that good of friends in such a short period of time.

Our hike down to the canyon.

Our reward for climbing to the top (aside from the obvious)!

The kids also got their Jr. park ranger badges here as well. The parks have a program where they learn about the wild life and such things in the park. In the Grand Canyon they learned about rocks, and in Bryce Canyon they got learned about indians, which the kids were really interested in. The lady that taught the class brought a lot of indian made things like a teepee , bow and arrows, a rice grinder. Most of the stuff was very hands on.

Our last night before we headed home the girls (Olivia, her friends and Sydney) put on a show.

Our drive home was very pretty. We drove through Escalante and north for a bit. Very Scenic.

It was the perfect trip to come back to the states to. Very memorable and fun for our family! Definitely grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to our family!