Ward Split

Tonight we found out that we are being split off from all of our dear friends in the Angel Park Ward. For my family, this is the 7th ward split in 10 years! Ward splits are very difficult, especially on the kids. Sometimes they lose friends, sometimes they lose leaders, sometimes they lose both. For Jake, the latter was the case. Needless to say, it has been very hard. This split was especially difficult because it was totally unexpected. We even bragged about how our ward was finally "land locked" so we thought they were safe. But our church and this area continues to grow...and so changes are needed. But boy are they hard! I think we have been with these people about 5 years. We have made some very dear friends. In fact one of my very best friends, Shelli, remains in that ward. And like I said, all of Jake's friends from the ward remain in that ward. It's tough! It is so hard to sit in a new ward, with new people. Although we know alot of them from past ward splits, it doesn't feel quite right yet. In alot of ways, it feels like we are losing family.

But it will change.

I keep reminding Jake of the many times we were split when Josh was a teenager. One time in particular, he was split off from most of his friends and his favorite leader of all time - Craig Sorensen. He really struggled at the prospect. But soon after, his 3 friends - Trevor, Brandon, and Wes (of the Fantastic Four) moved in, Brad was made his leader, and his life was forever changed. And I mean that literally...changed forever. What wonderful examples he was given and amazing memories he made! That is the miracle of our church. There are so many wonderful people!

We will get close to these new people and find out how wonderful they are. We will, eventually, feel at home again and wonder what is was ever like without them. But we will never forget the wonderful people we have been blessed to meet and associate with in Angel Park. They have truly helped us raise our children and touched our lives forever.

Some things I want to remember:

• So many young couples that are such strong church members- what great examples they are to me!
• Walks around the park, chatting with friends in their backyards
• Vacations with dear friends from that area
• All the babies in the ward that we "kidnapped" from their families
• The wonderful leaders my children were blessed with! Namely, Brad LeBaron, Nathan Forbush, Steve Terry, Casey Tanner, and more.
• Watching Jeff with Kailey...and Kailey with Jeff. She is a little girl that Jeff fell in love with at a year old! She is so cute with her dark brown eyes and for some reason, she touched Jeff's heart immediately. Josh and Jake fell in love with her, too. I can't explain how I love to watch all of my boys love her and spoil her. She liked me okay but if Jeff or one of the boys were there, she would literally push me to the side so she could hug them first. She spent many Sacrament meetings on their laps reading books. Although she will no longer be in our Ward, I sure hope they still ask us to babysit occasionally. Watching her and Jeff melts my heart and reminds me of his tender side.
• And I will definitely miss teaching with Jeff. We started with Maddy's age group (which we thoroughly loved since we got to be with her!) and ended with the Sunbeams. These little children are so special, each in their own, totally unique way. We knew that it would probably be our last week with them so we took pictures of them on our last Sunday. As you will see, the lesson was on being thankful for food and clothing. Hence the dress-up clothes... Ellie, Braxton, Benson, Luke, & Ashlee Jeff & I - in "switched" clothing Maddy, who was our helper that day, & Braxton Luke & Ellie Benson & Ashlee

Aren't they adorable??

Yes, I will be forever grateful for the Angel Park Ward. There were some horribly difficult trials during our time in that ward but with the help of so many, we were able to get through it and find out who are true friends were. We discovered that there truly are "angels" in that ward. Thanks to all of them! They will always have a special place in my heart.

1st Day of School 2010

I can't believe that summer is over and it is time to go back to school. As always, I feel robbed. Some Moms love it when their kids go back to school but for me, it's a struggle every year. I always want to squeeze in a little more time with them, do a little more. This year, with all the rain in June, it made it seem even shorter than usual. But time marches on and I have to give them up again each day to go become smarter than they already are. :) It just amazes me how quickly the years are seeping one into another.

9th GRADE I LOVE this picture of Jake! I can't believe how handsome he is! He looks awesome with his braces (at least top braces) off. It's hard to believe that he's the same kid that used to be little just a couple of years ago. It's amazing how fast their childhood sneaks by. I have learned this with Josh so I am trying to treasure every moment with these 2. I know it will be gone in a flash.

And this is Jake making fun of me because I told him I wanted his new shoes in the picture. I love this one because it is totally Jake's personality shining through.

These are his famous "Zig Tecs." They are pricy enough that I made Jake pay for part of them. He says it's totally worth it because they are the most comfortable pair of shoes he's ever had.

5th GRADE...Already!

Look at that smile! I just can't get enough of it. When I'm having a bad day, this smile (and a hug) always picks me up.

As you can see, Maddy got layers for back to school. I think they are so flattering on her face. But I think she is beautiful no matter how she wears her hair.

She loves this shirt! She saw it in a magazine and just had to have it. I know how wonderful it feels to wear something you feel good in. I hope it makes her first day back at school a great day!

Hogle Zoo

Well we wanted to squeeze the last minutes of summer out and thought that going to the zoo would be a great way to do it. And this is the reason why - to see this cute new baby elephant, Zuri. Maddy had gone earlier in the week with her friend, Olivia, and was so excited for us to see her. She actually just turned a year old.

Not quite as cute.. okay, even downright scary looking. But very unique.

Also very unique.. a red panda. Interestingly, Maddy had just got a stuffed one of these in West Yellowstone. She (and I) thought it was a fox but found out it was one of these. I had never seen one before.

And of course we had to take a picture of this because Maddy has been crazy about turtles over the last couple of years. This one was pretty cool.

It was a great day! Other than Josh having to work and Maddy getting pooped on by a bat, it couldn't have been nicer. I kept thinking to myself how grateful I was that our kids will still do things like this with us. I actually think they even enjoy it. I don't ever want that to go away. Memories are wonderful but nothing like savoring every moment you have together. I continue to remind myself of that so I find more enjoyment in the "doing" than in the "getting it done." On the way home, we stopped at Tony Burgers for lunch, before football practice.

Summer is officially over...

Apron Strings

This is the Apron Strings group- aren't they the cutest girls ever?? Starting with Maddy and going clockwise: Maddy, Lindsee, Olivia, and Megan. They are such a great group of girls, each with totally different personalities that add so much to this group.

It is a group my friend, Sheri, thought up last year. She thought it would be fun to start our own 4H-like group. So each week during the summer, these girls go to one of the four houses and make something. They have got to do so many fun things - like baking bread, making earrings, tulle skirts, headbands, pillows, tie-dye shirts, and lots of fun! I am surrounded by so many talented women and am so thankful for that.

This was the first activity at our house this year. They are making the cutest tulle flip-flops.
It is fun to see how they turn out, each pair a little different.

And here are the finished products... So fun and easy! You know me, I've got to keep it simple.

I always feel so inferior to the other mothers because I don't feel like I am a very creative person. But I think these turned out cute and I know the girls had fun, so that's all that mattered.

Doing things like this make all the time and stressing about ideas worth it, just to see Maddy smile. It is so fun to get to see her with her friends, see the smile on her face and how happy it makes her. And she is always so appreciative. This is our second year of doing it and I am so glad that Sheri thought of it! It really has been a great experience for both me and Maddy.

This is our second activity of the year - pedicures! I kind of cheated on this one because I didn't teach them anything but I thought it would be fun since it was the week before school started.

The finished product...

After, we went to lunch at the Olive Garden and celebrated with all the Moms. It was a great day and a fun way to end the summer!

I'm old...again!

The best thing about birthdays is...
Eating whatever you want (this is the best Mud Pie EVER! Made by Cold Stone Creamery for MacCool's) and...

Spending time with those you love...

Celebrating 25 years...

...with BRHS. Wow!! It's hard to believe how fast the years keep rolling by. I remember going to Jeff's 10-year High School reunion with him and now we are already at 25. Seems almost too hard to believe. Jeff and his best friend, Mark. The C and the O from Z-A-C-O. It was so good to see the 2 of them reunited again. These 2 have been through alot together and Jeff could NOT have asked for a better best friend!

Mark and his wife, Teri.

Mark, Brett, and Jeff. (Fellow football players)

Lana, Kirk, Mark, & Jeff

Kirk, Mark, and Jeff. Just had to include this shot of Mark.

I sure am glad I was able to enjoy this day with him!