Technology Is Great!

Normally I take my camera every where and this is one weekend I regret not taking it more.   For years my  family has spent time helping with the church ranch operation in Nephi.    For many reasons I have never actually been on a horse moving cattle with them.  I was either pregnant or had babies.   I never minded and was always fine staying at the ranch and watching the other kids and helping with dinner.    Don called us and ask for help moving cows.  Things were in transition for Dan at work and he was able to work from horseback with his cell phone.   Because Kaci Fae is older and Jake and Zeak were with us I was invited to ride.   I am so glad we took that opportunity it was so fun and relaxing.    I wish I had a photo of us horse back and I really wish I had a photo of Dan with his cell phone to his ear and reins in the other hand.   Doing what he loves while still making a living.   Since I don't have a photo of that you will just have to imagine it.  Dan comment several times he was so thankful for technology which allowed him to work from a phone.   The Shepherds were with us and the kids had pony races and swam in the big water tank.   They would race the ponies for  awhile water them in the water tank and then they would go swim in the water tank that they just watered the ponies out of.   I know a little gross but at Grandpa Don's anything goes.     It was an awesome weekend full of memories. 

A Few Hours At Seven Peaks

The boys were awesome this year and got FREE Seven Peaks reader passes. So I convinced Dan into taking the day off and going to Seven Peaks. A friend helped me get discount tickets so we were set to have a great day. We got there and started having fun the kids wanted to take Dan to the wave pool first thing. Kaci was warming up to the idea of swimming and we having a great time. Finally the boys convinced Dan to go down the big slides Kaci wanted to go play in the splash area so her and I ventured over to the safe side of the park and sent Dan to the wolves. He came back awhile later with the look of someone who had just been sold into Egypt. I laughed and laughed saying I went off the orange slide last time and never got my $20.oo! We all resorted to the lazy river where we could all enjoy and relax. Just as we were enjoying our selves the clouds darkened and lightening shut down the party. As usual people started running. Dan said this is where it pays to be a cattleman. We took cover next to the red umbrella tables. After waiting out the storm we decided to cut our losses and go out to eat somewhere on our way home. I love spontaneous moments where we can just go with the flow and whatever happens and be happy about it!

Years of Experience

I love taking my kids to visit my grandparents. They are so gracious and loving. Grandma was helping me sew my flag for the trek. We went through her stacks of fabric and then she helped me put it all together. In the next life maybe I will enjoy sewing and develop that talent but for now I am grateful for a mom and grandma who are willing to share it. Zeak wanted to help with breakfast so grandma was very patient and good to teach and help him learn her way of doing things. Grandpa loves to cook dutch oven for everyone. He has built him quite the dutch oven area. These two amazing people of years of knowledge and experience I love visiting them and learning from them. They are two people I look up to and love spending time with just wish I took more time to be with them.

Happy Birthday Susan

For Susan's Birthday this year we had a GIRLS day! It was so much fun we all met in Salt Lake for lunch and some shopping. Shannon and Kathryn flew in from St George and Suzanne picked them up the rest of us drove up and met them. We sat and visited forever at lunch. It was fun to not have a schedule and just relax without kids and chaos. Susan, Thanks for having a Birthday for us all to enjoy.

Fun with Firends

Friday night we went up the canyon for a hotdog roast with friends from Mona. It was so much fun. We sat around the camp fire talking and singing while the kids played and hiked. The smores were a huge hit with all of the kids. Jake loves to build, eat, and share his smores. It was so green and pretty up there it was a perfect relaxing night with the Keytes, Maughns, Samuelsons, and Bucks. This is how summer nights should be.

Family Belonging to and Believing In. . .

Dan and I were privileged to be a Ma & Pa on the Trek for Youth Conference. What an amazing experience. I miss being with the youth. Our experience was so amazing and something I would love to share but I don't feel like my blog where everyone can read it is the place to share it. The moments and the memories are very sacred and I want to keep that sacred spirit just that. So for anyone reading this, know that I am forever grateful to the pioneers for blazing the trail for us. Their example of strength and faith is one I will try to keep alive as I raise pioneers of today! You can see that our family increased from the beginning to the end and I Love Each of these kids as if they were my own. What an amazing week for me spiritually.

Older again.

Dan is one of the few people who doesn't mind getting older. He loves his Birthday and he loves each stage of life. Almost every year since we have been married he has spent his birthday at Youth Conference or Scout camp. This year was the same with the exception that I was with him. We sang Happy Birthday around the camp fire at midnight. On our arrival home the kids greeted him with balloons treats. What more could a guy ask for?

Happy Birthday Dad

We had a dutch oven dinner at Brenda's for my dads birthday. He loves strawberry rhubarb pie so I made him one with all kinds of berries. It was a fun dinner with everyone but Stef's family and Cody.

First Weekend in June

The first weekend in June was a great weekend just had a disappointing outcome. Zeak's whole goal this year was to make it to Nationals in Junior High. He worked really hard and for whatever reason fell short of going. He made some awesome runs and has improved so much this year. He lost his best friend in December and yet has kept going and trying. He won 4th in the breakaway roping in the 1st go at state. He placed in the top 15 in every event. I was so proud of him. Grandma & pa Miller and Grandma Woodland came to support him on Saturday. He was so disappointed when him and Rhett missed in the team roping. Grandpa was so cute with the boys and talked to them for quite a while. I know Zeak's heart was broke once again the first weekend of June. I know that he is an amazing cowboy. His turn is coming and he is going to be on top someday. Something he doesn't realize right now but as his mom I do. He is great in the arena as well as out of the arena. He was given some huge compliments this weekend. He was asked to carry the flags in every performance and in the short go he was asked to say the prayer. Mrs. Bahe came and said thank you for letting Zeak say the prayer he is a great kid and we all knew when we were planning state that we could ask him to do anything and he would. He glows and you can see something special in him. So cowboy even though you didn't make it to Nationals your awesome and your mom and dad are so proud of you.

My New Sport

Grandma Lou took us all bowling the first day of summer break for the kids. It was a lot of fun! I ended up getting the high score and when Dan and I took the kids before I was the high score. Grandma Lou was right there with me on a score of 126 I told her maybe we should join a ladies bowling league. Really it is a fun thing to do now and then but there are so many other things I would put on the top of my list so I wont be signing up anytime soon. It is just nice to be number one at something once in a while. Even better it was fun spending a relaxing afternoon playing with all of the kids. Thanks Grandma for the treat!

May Maddness

The Month of May seems to have come and gone. As always there were plenty of celebrations and activities to attend.

Mother's Day is one of my least favorite holidays. I think I inherited this attitude from my own mom who I have always thought was great yet she always doubted her greatness. Now that I am a mom I see me doing the same things. As hard as I try to keep a positive out look on my role as a mother and my abilities to be a good mom those feelings of doubt and self-incrimination always find their way in. We were able to go to Fillmore and spend the evening with my mom and siblings.
Our first hotdog roast was right in our own backyard. Dan was not impressed that I was burning the pile of branches and letting the kids roast their dinner over it. So I sent him and Zeak to scouts for their dinner and Kaci and Jake thought I was the best mom ever until . . . they went to get marshmallows and all we had were minis. They tried roasting them anyway and had a great night. For future reference you must have large marshmallows or the new giant marshmallows.

We got a little bit of a late start on the garden but considering the weather I am sure we could have waited even longer. It has been so rainy and cold this whole month. Things are not really growing and I am sure I will have to replant a big portion of the garden.

Jake had his Spring Choir concert he did an awesome job on his solo. He has really enjoyed choir. He is sad to have a summer break but I assured him it would be time for singing again before we know it. He wants to move to the older kids so he doesn't have to wear his choir robe anymore.
My baby graduated from preschool this year and is ready to go to kindergarten. I wasn't sad until I gave Mrs Blackett a hug and realized there would be no more Apple Academy for us. She has been a great teacher and friend to all of us.






Mona Spring Fling was amazing as ever. Zeak was asked to help carry the flag he even agreed to putting his scout shirt on. The only problem was he couldn't find it thanks to our good friends Tina and Andy Williams for loan him one of theirs. The kids had fun and we got to dance with them after. This is one tradition I hope they always keep.
We waited forever this spring for our babies to come. We had a little tough luck and lost two calves which was devastating for Dan. I am glad we never had to go through a miscarriage or loss of one of our children I am not sure he could handle it.

Wolf

Jake earned his Wolf in Cub Scouts. He loves scouting and he has some great leaders that are right on top of things. Much to my surprise they came to me in May and said if you will help Jake with these two things he will earn his Wolf. Knowing Jake would pester me until we got them done we just took the next few days and completed them. He is a great kid! We Love him and his enthusiasm to accomplish things not only on time but ahead of time. This is a great quality that will help him through out his life.