Utah Summer Vacation

We loved our vacation this year.  We love to visit family!!!  It is about a 26 hr drive and our kids did it like CHAMPS!!  We had movies going and ipads, ipods, etc. which really helped.  ;)  It was long, but we made it.  The kids like to stay in a hotel half way through and swim!  While we were in Utah, we had fun with family at the 4th of July parade, hiking the wind caves, boating at Bear Lake, riding Papa's tractor, and playing with COUSINSSSSSS!!!!  We hit Arches National Park on our way home which was AWESOME!  It was hot, but super fun!  I loved meeting people from all over the world who had come to visit the famous ARCHES NATIONAL PARK!  :)  We had a WONDERFUL time and I miss family a lot, but so glad we were able visit and give hugs to all!

Here is the slew of pictures:

Grandma and Papa

Hiking the wind Caves up Logan Canyon

 ARCHES National Park

 The human arch! :)

 Double Arch

 One of the Window's

 J and Lo loved to rock climb!

 Double Arch family picture

 Riding on Papa's tractor with Uncle B.

 COUSINSSSSSS!!!

 Papa's Sheep

 Eating at Le Beau's after Boating at Bear Lake... sorry no pictures from Bear Lake.  :(

 Watching the 4th of July Parade at Grandma's and Papa's house.

 Picking up candy!

 Wind Caves

 The Smiths at the Wind Caves

We really had such a great time.  Now we have a month left and will get ready for school to start again!  CRAZY! :)  Summer is going fast!

Summer!!!!

TWO  days left of school, but it feels like SUMMER!!!  Sprinklers and Popsicles here we come!!!

Sunday Walk in the Woods

I love being outside. I miss the mountains in the west, but I LOVE the woods of this area.  We recently found a new trail to explore.  If you look closely in the second picture, you can see a part of the little Miami River.  It's a calm part, but just a bit west of that picture was faster water.  There were little frogs EVERYWHERE!!  So many places to explore.  I love that Meg explores in her dress.  LOL.  She is a mighty hiker and doesn't need help.  The boys led the way and J was my friend chatting it up the whole time!  :) LOVE MY KIDS!!!!  LOVE walks through the woods! :)

Meg's Dance recital!

Meg has LOVED dance this year.  She has a cute little class.  She likes tap dance the best!  Here is her recital pieces for your viewing pleasure!  :)

Tap, Ballet, and free dance! :) 

Pretty mermaid@

Look how much Meg looks like my mom!!!  Can you tell which one is Meg and which one is my mom?

RANDOM post!!!

Random pictures from my phone!!

During one of Lo and J's soccer games there was a huge rain storm.  It came on suddenly and was a complete down poor.  They called Lo's game, but J played in the rain for a while.  It was quite AWESOME... :)

 GREEN SMOOTHIE MUSTACHE!!!

 Memorial day brunch at IHOP with COUSINSSSS!!!!!

 I bought lilac bushes!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE lilacs!  :)  Makes me happy!

 Z-man had his field trip to a farm.  He got to plant a flower at the end.  He LOVES these flowers. :)

 We have fun playing with friends at jump n' jacks

 and Chic-fi-la

 We were able to go to a friends house over memorial day weekend and explore their awesome awesome new house.  This is a creek in their back yard.  The kids LOVED playing, exploring, and trying to catch fish!  :)

 Meg's friend Moira! 

 Can't beat the Dinosaur at the park

Mother's Day

For my mom's birthday (the day after mother's day), we recorded this with our cousins.  This is my mom's favorite primary song!  

I also love this song and love to think about what it will be like when Christ comes again!  What a wonderful day that will be!!!!!

Soccer 2014

Soccer is in FULL swing here! All of our kids are in soccer this season and having fun. Z and Meg are on the same team, so they get to be buddies for one more year. :)

J and Lo are having fun and learning lots.  Spring soccer is always tricky.. it rains a lot! BUT we are making the best of it and enjoying it when it's not rained out.




Eating snacks after their game and waiting for Lo's practice to be over.

 

 

Meg really likes throw-in's.  :)

Hanging out watching J play her game. 

Z and Meg's team.

Meg gettin' in there.

waiting for the throw in.

Z-man is a MACHINE!!!!

Lo's team.

J playin' smart soccer!

  

J's Team

EASTER 2014

Happy Easter. 

We had a fun time with Darin's side of the family this weekend, although I didn't get any pictures.  oops.  We rode bikes on the little miami trail, played lots of games outside (so glad we had nice weather), and ate a lot of food!  :)

Today was a lovely day.  Just my little family relaxing and thinking about Christ.  It was a good day with lots of left over ham! :)

 J was tickling Z-man

 Logan passing off his 'cook outdoors' merit badge.