Answers

I have come to realize all the different ways that the Lord answers prayers in my life. I am learning better how to communicate with Him. I am learning that if I ask for an answer in a certain way, striving to really understand what He is teaching, I receive it.

Sunday was no different. This past couple of weeks has really kicked me down. Rough is a very pleasant way to describe my aching heart. All week I was looking forward to Sunday, to the moments of quiet, stillness and the Spirit while partaking of the sacrament. I prepared myself for those sweet moments all week and continually prayed that I would be blessed with an answer and peace.

As the first speaker stood up, I felt his eyes connect with mine and my heart almost leaped. I could feel that the message he was going to give was written for me, by my Father in Heaven. I said a quick prayer that I would be able to really hear and understand the message the Father had for me and prayed that the speaker may be able to adequately deliver the message and inspiration that he was receiving from our Father in Heaven.

As this sweet return missionary spoke, I clung to each and every word. I felt the counsel as if it were the Savior talking to me, giving me a guideline of what to do and answering my questions.

Some of the counsel given was to:

-Keep my eyes directly on my Savior, look forward not around me

-If I were to focus solely on my relationship with Him, that the peace and joy would return to my life.

-I must learn to let go and hand over to the Savior the things which I cannot control

-For the time being, I must learn to live life how it is now, which isn't a lot of fun

-This isn't the season in my life for healing, not organizing, not doing, it is my time to sit, be still and be taught

-Promised that someday I would understand and teach others because of my experiences

-For now, all I need to do is hand my life over to the Savior, keep my eyes, heart and soul firmly fixed on Him and trust He will do with my life what is best.

-All I can do or must do is trust Him and try my best to walk

-When I am too weak to walk, I must rest

Tears flowed later that evening and Thomas and I talked. I realized in my heart that this trial, this complete walk of faith, is not close to being over. It is not ending. It is not getting better. I will continue to pass out, I will continue to have seizures. I will continue to be so exhausted, I will struggle to pull myself off the couch. I will continue to need help, lots of help. But, for whatever is in my future, I need this, or at least, the Lord needs me to go through this experience.

What I have been able to do in the past 48 hours is:

Let go.... let go of trying to fix this.

Stop looking on the internet and calling doctors trying to get answers.

Breathe.

Accept. Accept that although this is not the life I wanted or dreamed of, I still have a life. I am still a mom to Hayden and a wife to Thomas.

Plan. My plans have changed. They now consist of teaching, sharing experiences and making sure that Hayden is as knowledgeable about the gospel as possible.

Teach. I can still teach. I can write. I can use this time of being confined to the couch/bed in the afternoon and evenings to really convey my thoughts.

Keep a scripture journal. I can read. I can write. I can create a journal for Hayden that lets him know how his mother felt about the scriptures, verse by verse, topic by topic.

Trust. I can trust that my Father in Heaven brought me to this trial, this point in my life, he blessed me with experiences to be able to handle this new trial. He has brought me through each and every trial before this one and I KNOW He will bring me through this one.

Love. I may not be able to do what I could before but I can love those around me with all my heart. I can appreciate them. I can pray for them.

My lesson or answer came I am sure like many other peoples'.... the situation is not changing, I must conquer this fight. The challenge was not lessened. I still am sick. I will still struggle with my health.

My Dad

To celebrate Father's Day for my dad, Josh, Jake, Rosie, Jodi, Troy, Suzi, Thomas and I took Bonnie and my Dad to dinner at a dive of a bbq restaurant, but one my dad loves. It is sitting on picnic benches, checkered table cloths and plastic forks, but the bbq is delicious and yummy.

We had fun sitting and talking sans children. It was a nice little break from the every day. It is rare lately that we all get together. Everyone has become so busy. We need to take more breaks.

Hayden brought Grandpa over a similar gift basket to the one we made Thomas, except did, "My Grand POP rocks" and filled it will all kinds of Grandpa's favorite treats. Hayden and Grandpa both share a love of Swedish fish and Cheetos. Every time Hayden sees a box of Swedish fish, we must get a box for Grandpa. And, we ALWAYS set off to the beach or any vacation with Grandpa with a big bag for them to share.

Working with my dad, I see him every day in a different light. It is good to get away sometimes and just be family, not working.

Thomas and I decided to extend the night a little by hitting ice cream on the way home. I do cherish any alone moments that I can sneak in with Thomas. He makes me laugh... what is better to share a couple of laughs with than ice cream... so glad my best buddy loves ice cream as much as I do.

Father's Day at Church

After our fun morning celebrations with Thomas, we got ready and headed out to church. Not only was it a great Father's day for talks on Father's, but Grandma Julie was one of the speakers. What a special day for her to talk. I cannot express the feelings I have seeing her at the pulpit speaking, teaching truths and bearing testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a remarkable feeling that after 25 years of trying to be an example and talk to her about the gospel, that she embraced it and is receiving the blessings of the true and everlasting gospel. What a feeling. Brother Epps also accomplished the impossible, and was able to convince me to give the closing prayer in sacrament meeting. Why in the world that I am terrified of praying in sacrament meeting is beyond me. Anywhere else, fine. For some reason, I am not a big fan of walking up the aisle and trying to express my feelings after my heart has been uplifted during a spiritual sacrament meeting. But, I can say that I did it and I am becoming more and more comfortable at the pulpit.
Hayden about hates his picture being taken, but will humor us sometimes. However, put a camera in that boy's hand and he could shoot pictures all day. I think he has spent a lot of time with Aunt Jodi and Grandma Julie on that skill.
And, I must say that I LOVE my fun new dress that Thomas bought me for Father's Day. I certainly scored. What husband takes their wife dress shopping for their Father's Day Celebration. (He said that he was so lucky I married him so that he could be where he is at today). Amazing guy I'm telling you. But, I definitely love it and love what it symbolizes to me.
What a great day filled with love, caring, an a perfect opportunity to express our love one to another. It was a beautiful Sunday!

Father's Day Celebrations

Hayden and I woke up really early to make Thomas a great Father's Day breakfast, complete with Thomas' favorite breakfast foods. Needless to say, he loved it! I'm not sure he loved waking up really early but definitely loved the yummy breakfast and being doted on.
We made him a basket that said, "My Pop Rocks" all filled with "pop" goodies, popcorn, ring pops, carmel popcorn, pop tarts, fudge pops, kool pops, jiffy pops and of course pop rocks.
We also bought him a new book he had been eyeing, a Ghost Rider movie and a little trinket telling him how much we love him.
Hayden absolutely adores his dad. I love watching them together. He was so proud of himself for doing so many nice things for his dad. He loves making his dad happy.
We also got him a case of his favorite, "Dad's rootbeer". Hayden picked out all of the gifts this year, I just helped. He did such a great job at knowing exactly his dad's favorite things are. He has also taken over being the family photographer. He is taking lessons and loving it!
Love these two guys! They are my world. Hayden and I totally lucked out because Hayden has the greatest father that has ever lived. He is amazing and Hayden and I feel so blessed that he is ours.
Happy Father's Day, Thomas! I hope more than anything, you realize how much Hayden and I truly love and adore you. Hayden can most definitely say, "My Pop Rocks!"

Father's Day

I know Father's Day was a couple of days ago. I just was able to sit down to write out some of my thoughts. As I look back over the past year to last Father's Day, I am in awe of how much more in love with Thomas I am today and how much more grateful I am for him.

I could write for days about all the loving and kind ways that Thomas treats me but will keep this concise.

Thomas is the best father ever. Hands down. There is no one that could be a better father to Hayden. He plays with Hayden, he talks with him, they go on adventures together, they have so much fun together. Thomas disciplines, with love. He doesn't impose harsh punishments or use unkind words to get Hayden to behave. He takes the time to sit down, turn off the tv, pull Hayden close, and he talks with Hayden. He uses examples, he utilizes the scriptures, he explains, he guides, he teaches and he loves. Hayden walks away with more understanding, more knowledge, a vow to try harder and be better. I am so grateful for Thomas and the gentle and kind ways that he teaches Hayden and helps Hayden to become a better person. Words cannot express my gratitude that he chooses to lovingly teach and redirect rather than harshly punish or discipline.

Thomas apologizes. He acknowledges if he does anything that would offend, hurt, damage a relationship or even if something comes across wrong. He quickly corrects his mistake, truly asks for forgiveness and tries to be better. Because of this, Hayden is becoming this way. Apologizing is easy, it is natural and part of the daily process of repenting and becoming better. So grateful for a husband that teaches this principal and exemplifies our Father's love.

Thomas is quick to kneel, quick to ask the Lord for guidance, the first one to turn to the scriptures for an answer, and immediately consults with his Father in Heaven on important matters. He utilizes the priesthood power and fully understands the sacredness and power that comes from righteously calling down the powers of heaven. Likewise, Hayden's first response to a problem is to pray about it or receive a priesthood blessing for extra comfort and guidance.

Thomas constantly loves. Constantly serves. Constantly hugs. Says I love you numerous times a day. He tells us he loves us, he shows us he loves us, he serves us, he hugs us, he prays for us, he spends time doing what we love, he does all the little things to show us he truly cares.

I am so thankful for the wonderful ways that Thomas is teaching Hayden how to treat women, his future wife, his future children, how to develop an incredible relationship with our Savior and how to love and live.

Happy Father's Day to the most incredible man I have ever known. I don't know how I was so lucky to get to be his wife. But, I do think that me and Hayden are the two luckiest people on this earth.

Air Conditioning

Air Conditioning is essential in the Arizona desert. Without it, strokes,seizures and all kinds of medical episodes take place with me. Along, with the fact that it is horrifically hot when the a/c goes out on a 115 degree heat.

Luckily, Jake is a contractor and knows A/C guys. He had one of his guys stop by first thing the next morning. They pulled a part and went and replaced it.

At first I found myself asking really? First my health, all the medical that comes with it, the car tire blowing up yesterday and now the air conditioning today?

After a moment of contemplation, I changed how I looked at it. Yes, I have medical issues, but the Lord is helping us work on that.

Yesterday, Thomas' tire blew, yes. But, he was protected, did not get in an accident, made it safely to the side of the road and was completely protected and safe.

Yes, our air conditioning went out. But, the Lord blessed us that it was a relatively inexpensive part compared to what a new unit would have cost us.

I spent a lot of time thinking of these two scenarios... it was my choice to see it as another trial or a huge blessing. The same events occured regardless of how I choose to look at the situation. I can choose an oh me, why are so many bad things happening to us attitude or one of sincere gratitude that things worked out so favorable for us. My choice. My decision.

I quickly hit my knees in thanksgiving and prayer. I thanked my Father in Heaven for sparing Thomas' life, keeping him from being in any serious danger, watching out for him, and having the car have as minimal repairs as were possible. I also thanked him for us being able to replace an inexpensive part instead of an entire air conditioning unit.

When I got up from my knees, I called Hayden over and listed the events that had occurred and asked him what he thought. He immediately said, boy, we are so lucky that Heavenly Father protected dad and so blessed that we didn't have to buy a new air conditioning unit.

That boy has it right and oh how his mom is trying to keep up with him, his positive attitude and his goodness. He is so right. We are so blessed and so looked after.

I am determined that no matter what events take place in our lives that we try to see the blessing in it before we choose to see the trial or hardship. I know the difference lies in my attitude. I am sure going to try to be better at searching for the good not the bad.

Tire Blow Out

"I am okay. Nothing happened to me but the car.....". My heart sank, my head slipped away and I tears fell ever so slightly. Nothing else in that moment mattered. The car, the money... it didn't matter. In that split second, I realized that the only thing that mattered to me was that my husband was okay, he was was still here on earth with me. My head flashed to what could have been, what events could have ever so easily unfolded. I found myself in quiet prayer of gratitude and thanks.

I called and had Julie go meet Thomas on the freeway. As she began to describe to me that she had NEVER seen a tire so blown, so completely shredded. AAA said there was nothing left, it had blown and shredded completely, yet Thomas was able to safely pull over 5 lanes of traffic to get safely to the side of the road.

As Thomas and I spoke of this miracle later and were expressing our gratitude and our thoughts about these events to Hayden, it became a great teaching moment on attitude.

Things happen to us in life. Problems come, events occur that we have no control over, monies that were set aside for one thing have to be used on the emergency situation. Our family had a choice to make right then and there. Were we going to complain because yet another problem was occurring for our family to deal with or were we going to chose to be grateful that even though the tire popped, and we had to purchase a new one and fix the car, we could choose to see the miracle that Thomas lived through this very scary situation, and didn't even receive one scratch.

Of course, we chose to immediately kneel down and thank our Heavenly Father for watching over us and see to it that we praised him for sparing our husband and father's life. We are so grateful for the miracle of no harm coming to Thomas. We still need him. He is an amazing father and amazing priesthood holder. My heart is so full that the Lord stepped in and intervened on or behalf. I am so grateful to still have my dear sweet husband to share my life with. We are grateful for the miracle of the car tire and the Lord sparing Thomas' life.

Modern Miracles

I will admit, the last year has taken me to my knees and has absolutely sent me to a point of I had to chose to either hand everything over to my Savior or try to take this trial and "fix" things myself. It has been a process learning to 100% hand over my health, health issues, money problems, job pressures, mothering responsibilities, as well as many church assignments and those everyday duties of being a mom and wife all over to my Savior. I learned that if I gave him 90% and tried to hold control over 10%, things failed. I couldn't juggle everything that needed to be done, even when I was only trying to accomplish 10% of it and trusting the Lord on the other 90%. It didn't work.

The last couple of weeks, I have found myself relying on my Savior even more, trusting Him completely and letting Him take ALL the pieces, not just a select few, and not even me trying to control or have dominion over a few areas. I had to literally lay it ALL at His feet and repent for me trying to control or force things to turn out the way I wanted or thought they should be handled.

In doing so, we have received so many blessings and even miracles in our lives. I stand as a witness that our Savior can do more with our lives than we can. He can take what little we have to offer and make it into more than enough. He blesses us to a far greater capacity and gives us what we NEED, not necessarily what the desires of the heart are.

Grateful doesn't even begin to describe what He has done for our family. I will be eternally humbled and appreciative of the miracles that He has chosen to bring forth in our family at this time in our lives.

The song, "I Stand All Amazed" keeps repeating in my head. The words are my song to my Savior.

1. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

[Chorus]
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

2. I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

3. I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet

And, although, this has definitely been a struggle, a challenge, the trial of my life, with Him beside me and ONLY because He is standing beside me, I am continuing to hold on, fight, and continue to try and walk the path that ha been set before me. His love is what keeps me going.

Me & My Boy

I can honestly say that this boy brings joy and happiness into my life like no other person can. No matter how crappy I feel, no matter what is going on with me, my boy can cuddle in next to me, wrap my arm around him, cuddle back into me and all my sorrows, fears, worries and frustrations slip away. I know that no matter what else happens in life, being this boy's mom is the most important role I have been blessed with. The Lord knew I needed Hayden to pull me through some of my darkest moments. This boy of mine is remarkable. He loves me, He loves his dad, He loves his Savior and Father in Heaven. He tries so hard to constantly do what is right. I love you, Hayden! Thanks for making my world such a wonderful place to live in!

I love him looking up to me. It reminds me of all I still need to teach him and the example that I need to set for him. To my Father in Heaven, thank you for sending my son to me. I love you, Bubba! Always have.... always will!

My Sister

There are NOT words to express the love, appreciation, friendship, joy and happiness that I gain from having my sister as my best friend. She makes my world an incredibly better place to live in. She is always doing thoughtful deeds for me, checking up on me and trying to take care of me. She does it in a way that is fun and we laugh together, cry together. Thanks, Jodi! I cannot imagine my life without the joy you bring into it!

I love any bonus moments that we get to spend together, whether they are sitting on my couch, swimming in her pool, or spending the weekend together at Josh's cabin. I love you, Jodi! Thanks for being the world's most amazing sister!

TT & Us

Seriously, who can get enough of this cute little boy's face?!!? He is precious! He makes me happy! He makes me laugh and oh does he ever bring joy and happiness into my life. I am so grateful for this little cheeseball and all his funny faces and humor.


Not only does he keep us laughing, but he is the biggest cuddle bug and we soak in ALL the hugs, cuddles and kisses we can get! Talmage Troy... thanks for bringing so much joy, laughter, love and happiness into our world!

Is Summer over Yet?

This summer is getting awfully hot. I have decided that Arizona heat is definitely NOT my friend. When the cardiac electrophysiologist told me this was going to be the worst summer of my life, I had no idea what to expect. He said that anytime I was in direct sunlight, I would pass out. I thought he was exaggerating. I was wrong. Wishful thinking on my part. The heat absolutely kills me. In order to even go out in the sun, I am learning that I have to be wearing sunglasses and a hat. If the direct sunlight hits my eyes or face, that is it, I pass out. Not only that, it drains me like I couldn't believe.

I grew up in Arizona and figured that it wouldn't be this bad. I was accustomed to the heat. I was dead wrong. I am learning to adapt. I try to only get out of the car and go places either early in the morning or late at night. In fact, grocery shopping has to be done after 8pm.

I attempted Jodi's new pool again this week. Bad decision on my part. I was out in the sun, under the umbrella with a hat and sunglasses on in the water. I thought I would be fine. When Thomas picked me up, I told him I didn't feel well. We went home and I passed out on the couch and slept for the next 10 hours.

It is only a couple of weeks into June. We have another four months of intense heat. My body is not cooperating. I am not sure how we are going to tackle this problem. I am praying for a very rainy and stormy monsoon season.

Not fun, but I am learning to adapt. I am so thankful for the tender mercies of my Father in Heaven when I have to do something or be outside, he has given me the endurance to do what has to be done before I go down. I am so thankful for His goodness, or I don't know where I would be.

Each morning I get up and sing, "Sun, Sun go away, please bring on a rainy day! I would like to go and play, please bring on a rainy day!" Crazy, but I am convinced that someday it will work.

Cabin & Cousins

Josh and Steph invited all the Simonton family up to their cabin in Forest Lakes this past weekend. We were excited to go and get to spend quality time with everyone. Hayden loves every opportunity he can get to play with his cousins. He sure is a lucky boy that he has so many wonderful ones to play with. He also is lucky to have some incredible aunts and uncles. Even Grandpa and Grandma Bonnie came up. It was quite the fun weekend!

This is one of my very favorite photos. These cousins are all so close in age and they have a great time together. Katelyn (10), Kiley (9), Hayden (10), Braden (9), Brooklyn(8) and Casen (11). (Kaylee is 12 and was missing) but this group plays together so well. They played cards, scrabble, rode the rhino, made forts, played capture the flag, watched movies, ate treats, explored and just had a great weekend. They were all making fun plans for the beach!

I love Hayden's face of cracking up when I asked him a question. I also love that Brigham and Talmage were in the background playing. I sure love each of these kiddos and they hold a very special place in my heart!

Kiley, Talmage, Brigham, Brinley, Katelyn and Brooklyn. They made a roller coaster ramp with the wagon and took turns giving the younger kiddos rides.
Talmage, Hayden and Brigham loved playing with the caterpillars. I love that Hayden has these two boys. They are as close as Hayden gets to having little brothers and oh how he loves them!
I love that every time I pull out my camera that Talmage jumps in and says cheese. What a crack up!
Brigham, my sweet, loving Brigham with a caterpillar on his head. Oh how I adore this boy!
I am not sure what was so funny, but I love this picture of Jodi laughing while we were playing a fun game filled with truthful answers. Too funny!
Hayden is lucky to have such a great Aunt Jodi that loves him!
The mountains were beautiful, the weather was perfect, the log cabin was gorgeous and the air was refreshing.
Thanks, Josh and Steph for inviting us up for the weekend! My heart longs to be in the mountains. It was refreshing to enjoy the cool air and let me heart reset.

Movies

My son is a movie fanatic. He cannot decide whether to grow up and be a movie critic or a doctor. I always tell him he will be fantastic at whatever he decides to be... whether it is a doctor, a scientist, a writer, an illustrator or yes, even a movie critic. Is it bad if I secretly hope he chooser to be one of the first four and NOT a movie critic? If he does, I will love him and be proud of him, no matter what. I do love that he could critic a movie with the best of them. He analyzes the sound, the music, the vocabulary, the story line and even the actors.

Best part for me this trip. Hayden wanted to watch a movie that was rated NR. He didn't know what that meant, we hadn't discussed a non rated movie. I was away, Thomas hadn't come up to the cabin yet. So, what did my sweet boy do? He went in the other room, said a quick prayer to see if it was okay that he watched the show. He said that he felt okay. His exact words were, "Mom, I felt okay, not great like I was going to watch a church movie that was good for me. But, not a bad feeling like I would see something inappropriate. More like a feeling of, yeah, it isn't bad, not good, but it won't hurt you to see it feeling." Man alive, I am so proud of him and the way he consults with his Heavenly Father on most decisions. I also wish my prayers were answered as clearly as his are, or that I understood the answers to my prayers they way he does his.

Love the picture of Hayden and Braden watching movies. I hope they continue to be friends as they grow up. I also love the picture of Josh's family with Brigham and Hayden, all watching movies. It was heaven. We were playing games, while part of the group entertained the ones wanting to just relax and watch movies. Pure relaxation!

Drawing

I was thrilled to capture my boy in his complete element. I looked over and Hayden had curled up in the rocking chair, pencil and drawing pad in hand, and began to draw the mountains and forest from his perspective. He has become quite the amazing artist. Most of all, when he is drawing, he is in his own world, he tunes everyone out and he does his thing. He truly escapes into his art and he is 100% at peace.

Games

Is it possible to get a bunch of Simonton's together and not to play games? I really don't think so. That is what we do... we play games together. It doesn't matter what... card games, Farkle, dice, scrabble, loaded questions, we love them all, we just have the need to play games together.

I think playing games stems back to our childhood. I appreciate so much more now the gift my dad gave us in playing games with us. He would come home from work, we would eat dinner and we would play games. A majority of my life was spent playing games as a family. My dad bought me my first game, Monopoly, for my 2nd birthday. We played games as a family ever since.

No family vacation is complete without the Simonton clan pulling out games. Our love is now passing on to the next generation of Simonton's. I love seeing them develop the strategies and wanting to beat all of the adults. Good times. Good times.
I love that Jake loves his sisters. He always puts his arms around me and Jodi and says, "I love my sisters." He is a great brother and would do anything for me and Jodi. We are lucky to have him in our lives.
Dad and Bonnie even were up for playing games this trip. It was great for the grandkids to get to spend time with them!
We played a new fun game of speed scrabble. So much fun! Two people would start competing and all of a sudden half of the group was split into two teams competing and helping each other out. This hand ended up me, Jodi and Jake vs. Steph and her boys. We won, but barely! Jodi, Jake and I made a terrific team, if we were playing together we were unbeatable!

Rhino

I am not sure what it is but the kids LOVE being on the Rhino. They would line up all day for turns riding on the Rhino. Luckily there are a lot of adults that would take them. With two rhinos going, all the kids fit for long, fun rides.

Of course, they could always get fun Aunt Suzi to take them. I love that these kids all want to be just like her. Look at Brooklyn and Kiley in the front with Suzi, sunglasses, attitude and all.
Hayden and Talmage always wanted to ride. Hayden loves the wind blowing in his face!
Katelyn and Brigham....too cute!
Talmage loved going but hated the seatbelt. He hates being confined anywhere, I guess what 2 year old does? He loves to run, explore, play and giggle. He keeps us all on our toes and is more fun than I could ever describe!
Best part, when Suzi had all the little ones out on Rhino rides, we all played more games! Relaxing for the adults, fun for the kids. So glad that Aunt Suzi is such a great sport!

Carving

While on our outing to Heber, the kids spotted these carvings, especially the alien carvings and wanted to stop and see them. I loved having enough free time that we could just stop and play with no schedule! Hayden is getting good at using the camera. Thanks, Grandma Julie for giving that boy photography lessons. I loved being at the cabin but couldn't wait for Thomas to come up. I sure love being with him!
Hayden LOVED the aliens. There were lots of little aliens and he was redecorating his room in his head of how he could have an alien room. Uh, I don't think so Hayden, I hope this picture will do.
Someday Hayden will hate me for posting this picture. But, this is Hayden's "I want something pose". I don't know where he got it but he thinks if he begs, he can get what he wants. Crazy boy, that totally doesn't work. If he only knew what did work is when he comes up, hugs me and tells me how lucky he is to have me for a mom. In the meantime, I will laugh every time he does his funky little pose that works no magical powers over me. Funny boy!

Water Ball

While up shopping in Heber, they were having a street fair. One of the activities was getting in this big ball and running on water. It was hard, especially with the wind blowing but they loved it. They were human hamsters and so funny to watch!





Hayden and Katelyn had a ball trying to run on the water and get the ball to glide across the water. What a fun experience.

Fort

I have fond memories of spending time in Christopher Creek during the summers. My mom would take us up and my dad would come up over the weekend. We rode ATV's, played games, hiked, explored, and made forts. I loved watching all the kids make their own forts this weekend and it brought back so many great memories.
Once the girls had made a complete house, we all had to go tour it. They did a great job!
This is how Braden and Hayden spent most of their time outside the fort...playing with stick swords. What boys!
Kiley, Brooklyn and Brinley spent all day outside making their own fort. I love the enter sign. They were so proud of themselves.
Hayden, Braden, Brooklyn, Kiley and Brinley out in front of their fort.
What incredible childhood memories they were able to make up int he mountains! Good times. Great cousins!