January 1, 2016. Happy New Year!

We had so much fun ringing in the New Year as a family! It was the first year that we weren't able to set the clocks forward 2 hours. The kids are old enough now that we couldn't fool them any longer! They loved staying up doing our traditional new years eve countdown! The night was full of dance parties, snacks, movies, board games, resolutions, and lots of fun! I love my family and I can't wait to see what 2016 has in store for us!

August 8, 2015. Sand Hollow.

We took advantage of the last weekend before school starts and headed to Sand Hollow. We needed to embrace the sun, the heat, and the freedom just one last time! We have been wanting to go to Sand Hollow for most of the Summer but it has never quite worked out. Saturdays are busy when you have just moved into a new house! We finally made it though, and it did not disappoint! The kids swam, played in the sand, and enjoyed being with one another. I sat down on the waters edge with Drake. He played with the sand and splashed in the shallow water, keeping us cool. It was so relaxing. There was no complaining from the kids. Just enjoyment. It was lovely! Just what we needed before the crazy that comes when the kids are in school!

July 4, 2015. Happy Independence Day!

We had a great 4th of July this year! We partook of all that the lovely town of Hurricane had to offer, starting with a parade bright and early before it got too hot! It was a great parade. Not too long, and not too short, and plenty of candy!! After the parade we took the kids to the park where they played games and bounced in the bounce houses. Later that night we had some friends over for a BBQ where we roasted hot dogs over our new fire pit! Fun fun! And the night ended with a beautiful sunset and fireworks for the older kids! I'm so grateful for this country that we have to live in and all the freedoms that we have.

A visit to Santa.

The kids were so excited to visit Santa. They each took a turn sitting on his lap to tell him what their heart desires for Christmas this year. It was fun watching Lyla visit with Santa. This is the first year that she understands what is going on. She wasn't scared at all. She leaned right in and gave him a big hug! I think all of the kids are on the nice list this year...

October 31, 2014. Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

We had a great halloween this year. The kids were so excited and have been looking forward to  this holiday for over a month now! They all looked great in their costumes and had a blast trick or treating! Both Sophie and Collin went with friends this year and were just about the last trick or treaters out there! Such a fun holiday!

The kids really wanted Logan and I to dress up this year, so Logan decided that we would dress up as each other. He looked fabulous as a pregnant me! It made me laugh every-time I looked at him, and the trick or treaters didn't quite know what to think! It was lots of fun!

October 10, 2014. Pumpkin Patch!

We took the kids to the pumpkin patch last weekend! They loved it and had so much fun. They always look forward to our yearly visit to pick out our pumpkins.  Sophie had a cute little checklist put together to ensure that she found just the right pumpkin. Things like: Is it round? Does it weigh enough? Is it the right color orange? It was cute and I think she eventually found her perfect one! Usually we tell the kids they have to be able to carry their pumpkin, but this year Logan said they could get whichever one they wanted. All of them, except for Lyla, chose really big ones! 

After our hay ride and pumpkin picking, the kids had a great time running around and going down the slides. Lyla was having the time of her life going down the slides over and over and over again. Collin tried his hand at the corn launcher and won us a free pumpkin by hitting the target right on! We even tried the corn maze this year! The kids had a blast and Logan and I enjoyed watching them have so much fun! Such a great time of year!

Each year I like to get a shot of all the kids together by the pumpkins. This year however, our usual spot was super crowded and Lyla wanted nothing to do with having her picture taken. The other 3 were happy to oblige, although they all are a little spacey! :)

February 22-23, 2014. Moab.

Logan came home from work at 4:00 one day and announced we were heading to Moab and that we I had 1 hour to pack. We had talked about it a couple of days earlier but ultimately had decided not to go.  He knew that he was going to be getting super busy with work and that we needed this little vacation together, so I got busy packing. It's no easy task packing for myself and 4 kids in an hour but I got it done (although I did forget a few things!) and we left on time!

We got in late so we went right to bed in order to get rested for a fun day of hiking a head of us. We had a great time visiting Arches National Park. The kids are troopers and went on a couple small hikes with us. Our kids really do not like hiking, especially Ruby. Not even kidding she sat down about 2 minutes into our hike claiming her legs were exhausted and that she was not going to go any further! Somehow we convinced her and we made it to Landscape Arch. Later when we hiked to the viewing point of Delicate Arch she talked Logan into carrying her. 

The kids participated in the Junior Ranger Program, a favorite of theirs. Although Collin was the only one to complete it and earn his badge. They each got $10 to spend on a souvenir and were in love with what they bought.

One our way home, we stopped at Canyon lands and hiked around before the big drive. I really enjoyed Canyon lands and wished we could have spent more time there. It was beautiful and the kids were able to climb around more than they could in Arches.

Such a fun last minute vacation!

December 31, 2013. Happy New Year!

We had so much fun celebrating New Years with the kids. Like last year I put together some activities and put them in a paper bag. The kids took turns opening them every hour. We had so much fun. Some of the highlights included ice cream sundaes, dance parties, hide and seek (my favorite of the night), resolutions, and ringing in the New Year with a toast and some party poppers! The kids loved staying up until midnight (we set the clocks forward 2 hours) and I loved celebrating with them! I'm sure it won't be too much longer before they would rather be with their friends.

Although 2013 was a difficult year, it was also a year filled with many blessings. I'm grateful for those blessings, and most of all grateful for my family. They are everything. I am one lucky wife and momma!

Happy New Year!