Just Being Together is Sweet

I appreciate and love simple moments like these where my beautiful daughters get to spend time together, and the fact that Kierra lives far away now makes these moments that much more special to me...

The few days that Kierra and Riley have been here visiting have been so low key since everyone still has school work and homework (including Kierra with online school) and a job to go to...:)

but doing absolutely nothing at all has also been a treat. 

We've enjoyed just visiting and being together, with some story time and play time, dinner time (and eating a LOT of sour patch watermelons! ;) and relaxing time...volleyball and one on one basketball, and Smash Bros. of course...;)

We visited Clint's work and they have visited with old friends...Barbie's and books, coloring, and painting toe nails...we aren't picky about our time together...we just LIKE being together!

Thank you Kierra and Riley for taking the time to be with us on your Spring Break! We sure love you guys and everything good that you do! Seeing you both so happy in your marriage is all that I have ever wanted for you, and you are such good examples for the rest of these sweet kids. 

Thank you for all the good that you do for all of us! WE LOVE YOU!!!

A Date With Friends, and a Date For Dallin :)

 Last week we celebrated my good friend Susan's birthday by taking her and her husband Brad to dinner at Tepanyaki's! It was a delicious meal in a fun atmosphere, and it was so so good to be with them. 

Susan and I have served together almost the entire time I have lived here. 1st, I was secretary to Susan in the primary presidency when I was pregnant with Kambriella, then I took her place as Primary president when she was put into the stake Young Women's presidency. Then I was 1st counselor to her in the Young Women's presidency, and now, she is one of my teachers in the relief society! Also, Clint and Brad served together in the Elder's quorum presidency for a few years as well. But more than anything, we have simply been friends ever since we moved here almost 11 years ago!

 We had fun visiting and laughing, and just hearing a little bit about what is going on in each others lives. We even talked about what good friends Dallin and Autumn have been since then...they were 5 when they met, and now Dallin will be turning 16 in just 1 short week! We even discussed the possibility of Autumn asking Dallin to go to MORP with her!!! But then guess what was waiting on the front porch for Dallin when we got home that night...

Someone else beat Autumn to it...(which made me kind of sad because I would have LOVED to see Dallin go with Autumn)...mostly because they would both have had so much FUN since they are such good friends! 

Oh well, I AM happy for Dallin and know that he will have a great time with anyone he goes with!

I'm grateful for sweet friends who really love me and treat me more like family than anything! Happy Birthday to you Susan! And Congratulations on being asked to MORP Dallin! :)  :)

Happy Birthday Amico!

 Happy 20th Birthday Anziano Trickett!!!  :)

Carew just celebrated his second, and final birthday in Italy! I thought it was so sweet how in his email home this week, his highlight of his birthday was the gift of teaching an investigator, and gaining two additional investigators because of it. That was the best gift that he could have asked for as a missionary! Now we are just praying for them to desire to accept the gospel and to be baptized. :)

 Back home we celebrated Carew with his favorite cake and time with family! Kierra and Riley are in town for a few days and we were so happy to have them here with us! 

 We spent a little time outside doing sidewalk chalk and enjoying the sunshine that we haven't seen much these last few weeks...

 A birthday cake and 20 candles for Carew drawn by Gavin...

 A butterfly for Kesslyn (drawn by mom ;)...

 ...and a beach scene and ice-cream cone drawn by Kierra and Kambriella...

 Oh how I have loved seeing the growth and change that has occurred in this sweet son of mine. I can hardly believe that he will be home in just a few short months...

Time sure flies when you are having fun and THAT is exactly what we have been doing around here! :)

Life is good and we are grateful!

And oh so blessed! Happy Birthday Amico!!! (Buddy! ;)

What Can I Say?

 What can I say...we love the temple! I have always and forever had a deep love for the temple. But these days my longing to be in there has increased in such a positive way that I find myself going there more and more often and I love it. The peace I feel there is real and it carries me through my week, almost in the same way taking the sacrament does for me...

Anyways...I took the boys right after they got home from school, and then as soon as Clint got home, we went too. Always the BEST day ever. :)

Silver Lining

 Yesterday I attended my Aunt Neta's funeral in Grace Idaho. These days are always a bitter sweet for me because I feel the sadness, loss, and heartache for my loved ones, (and at this time particularly for my mom who will miss her baby sister...) but I also see the silver lining at this time of gathering close to family. 

I really love getting to see my sisters that I don't get to see that often, but we all promised that we are going to gather for something FUN soon instead of gathering at a funeral. :)

My mom has 3 siblings still living out of 11 children, and says she does NOT want to be the last one to go.

I hope she is though. I don't want her to leave. I know that is selfish of me, but it's the truth! 

We need her and love her...just like Kesslyn! :)

The Driving Range

 Yesterday I went to the high school to pick Dallin up from his driving range practice for driver's Ed...

We had fun watching him finish up his range and got excited at the thought of him getting that much closer to being able to get his driver's license!

 Dallin's 16th birthday is in just 2 short weeks and he is soooo excited!! (And so am I!) It will be so nice to have another driver in the house again! I think I got spoiled having Kierra AND Carew both at home for a few years being able to help me drive. (But now they have both been gone for almost 2 years and I miss that!) I just love watching my kids experience joy and succeed as they are making their way down the path of life, and all of the new and exciting things that await them on their journey...and turning 16 and dating and driving are some exciting events for sure!!!

 After the driving range I took the kids to Chik-Fil-A for dinner before heading BACK to the high school where Dallin had to help with the sophomore orientation night. These are full and busy and FUN times with my children and I am loving every minute that I get with them. :)

I love you kids and am grateful for YOU!!!

Scout Camp at the Cabin

 There is an elk farm right by our cabin in Milburn, and Gavin and all of the scouts stopped there for a visit on their way home from their winter camp there. 

They stayed in our cabin where they could be warm, and where there is about 4 feet of snow outside! Our neighbors that live there year round have said that they haven't seen a winter like this in years!

But it's so so good because we really do need the water...

Also, here is Kevin, our boys fearless scout leader! :)

He is a good man and a good friend. He owns his own cabinet making business and has been friends with Clint for a while now. We will be traveling with him and his wife Laura to France and Italy this summer and we CANNOT wait!

(Plus, I'm pretty sure there won't be any snow by then.  ;)  ;)