Double- Digits

Our youngest is now into the double digits!  10 years ago?? 10 years ago!  Ke'Nia was born in Coupeville Washington...such a tiny part of our lives but enough time to gain some most fabulous friends for a lifetime.  We love and miss Washington and that part of our lives.  Such an important chapter to never ever be forgotten.  Heavenly Father really knows whats best for us and oh how glad I am that He steers the ship.  Moving to Washington would have never been considered if Ken and I were given the choice or had our prayers answered the way we thought they needed to be answered.   Faith was practiced in a way that seemed to be the ONLY way to mending, growing and learning.  The trial was a blessing and we are way better off because of it.  So happy to have a piece of our family born into that beautiful time of our lives in such a beautiful place.  No longer a trial thats memory is bitter, but a memory that is a strength and a blessing surrounded by peace and love.  It may have taken me close to now to realize it, but when you "Let it Go..." you can find blessings that were there all along.  Anywhooooo She is 10 and we did celebrate!  The proof is in the pictures!

You can already see that tween sass!

no baby dolls??

Lil Mermaid

Maxwells Pizza in Park City

We stayed the night in Park City, Swam, Ate and played a game of Farkel.  Oh ya.... and SHOPPED!

News..NEWs and BIGGER NEWS!

Playing Catch -Up is not my favorite so why oh why do I get behind!!  Oh well...Anyhow, Ke'Nia and I hosted our Mom and Me party in Sept and we had a blast!  You know me..I LOVE fall so we had a party!  We made each girl a smash book for fall, went on a hike to Snowbasin to enjoy the start of some beautiful leaf changes and decorated accordingly.  We made bread bowls that resembled pumpkins, Creamy Chicken Noodle soup, carmeled apples, had pumpkin marshmellow s'mores, hot carmeled cider and melon kabobs.  Enjoyed a bonfire and started our fall 2013 bucket list!

Added blue to our fall colors and loved the look!

Made the Hike just a bit more interesting

Cute friends..So Much Fun!  Thank you Rileigh, Annie and Maddie and Moms!

BIGGER NEWS to post...but not today maybe tomorrow hahahahahahhaahahahahahahah

Time...UNSTOPPABLE

Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March, soon to be April 3rd.  So I thought if I didn't think about it, it wouldn't come...Jadens time to leave that is.  Here it is almost here.  2nd Missionary to go out and is it easier??  Umm NO!  I know all to well how it feels to have my heart ripped out of me from previous experience.   Motherhood..My GREATEST Blessing and a trial.  So happy for his decision, don't get me wrong, but it still isn't easy saying goodbye for a couple of years.   Totally believe in and trust the person I'm turning over my duty's to and know that the schooling that comes from Father-In-Heaven is something I can't even compare myself to, but still...Selfishness arises in me and dang it! I'm going to miss looking at the clock from 11 till midnight wondering if he'll be late again.  Missing his all encompassing hugs that make me feel loved.  Lunch dates once a week.  His latest snowboarding experiences, all the girls I can never keep track of, His slow to anger, quick to remind me that I shouldn't be talking smack, His endless pit of a stomach, His sewing skills not to mention his tech skills!  Of course I'm not the only one that's already missing him.  He and Dakotah are such good friends.  I did get very lucky because those two hardly ever ever fight.  They compliment each other so much in everything they do.  Ridge and Ke'Nia think he is the best snowboarder ever and brag him up whenever they get a chance and as for Ken....Ken and the boys are so very close.  They always have been and once again I am so lucky to have never had to step in with any fighting ever!  Just Mom gets to be the bad guy.  Always the over the top worrier.  Can't help it. I love these boys more than anything.  Ridge and Ke'Nia have some great examples to look up to when it comes from the guys in our family.  So next time I "catch up" on this blog it more than likely will be an ugly sight.  But till then....Some awesome memories to hold on to.....

Snowboard Bum

Ke'Nia made it to the Storytelling contest for the whole school!

Book Club fun for Feb!

 

Jaden is 19! 

Valentines fun hooked to a String!

We love Valentines!  So much fun the whole day long.  Pink heart shaped pancakes and a webbed house filled with surprises on a string.  Big boys got a Red Hot Bag with all the Hot stuff! (hot Cheetos, tamales, cologne and other stuff I can't seem to recall.

Just last week we took a little trip to Sun Valley Idaho and returned with 0 injury's!  Thought we might stay in Twin Falls the first night just to do nothing and that we did. 

 Sun Valley was beautiful and all had fun. Not to cold either and a slow day on the mountain.  Gotta love Mondays!!

 Jaden's Temple!  So we had the Brigham City temple scheduled for the 15th of Feb.  As I am getting ready there comes a little knock on the bathroom door..."Mom" says Dakotah, "Ummm my Temple recommend expired"  Hmmm ok so I try to stay CALM and we reschedule for the following Wednesday the  20th.  All turned out well after all and as we came out it was snowing lightly.  So appropriate for Jaden.  But I forgot the pictures!  So on our way home from Idaho we made a quick stop.  It's a beautiful Temple!

 

Nie is NINE!

Inside/Outside pool in Park City

Wreck-it-Ralph

Nie and her Besties

Party on!

Disneyland did NOT happen for us when it came down to the last minute so we made Park City our destiny for a couple of days for Ke'Nias birthday.  Me and the two young-uns partied it up with Melenna and her 3 and we stayed in a sweet condo and just chilled!  The pool a movie and sleepover made up for the missed Disneyland trip and all was happy :)  Ken and the boys met up with us the night of her birthday and we had dinner.  With a half a dozen of red roses and a balloon along with presents made Ke'Nia a happy 9 year old and saved us a few dollars!

Read..REaD...READ!!

How do you get little girls excited to read??  Make it a party!  It's time to start up  homemaking skills and get learning.  We ( a couple of friends)  realized that dance and tumbling and soccer are great but will they be used much later on in life??  Are our girls being taught the things they will use throughout their life??  We thought we had better do something about that!  So we started a little co-op  where the girls could learn basic skills such as the importance of loving to learn and how to host, so Book Club was started!  They for sure need to know how to cook and not just from a box, so Cooking is part of the curriculum.  And what about the lost art of sewing??  Even if for repairs and alterations.  Sewing is also a part of our co-op.  And crafting??  Oh yes!  Every girl should know how to do a variety of crafts, because more than likely, they too will have little girls someday!  That's a pretty good variety of the necessities.   Lucky for me I have some very talented friends.  Here are some pictures of the first gathering of the year...  Tangled is our book and we learned just like Rapunzel we are Princesses too!  But not just Princesses to any King..but the King of all Kings.  We are daughters of a Heavenly Father and we have great potential to become Queens!  Love that!!

Miss Welsh and Miss Rowlan making cupcake towers

Miss Whitemyer just about ready to dig in!

Engaged in the story :)

Ready to get reading!

Miss Martin with all the "Stuff"

 The girls did each others hair.  Beaded and colored!  Where are my pictures??  Darling girls!!

Grand Adventure

So I took the 2 youngers and with a friend, we headed on out to the Grand Canyon!  First stop...Fort Cove and then we spent the night in Kanab.  After letting the kids swim till noon we headed on over to the Grand Canyon!  Made a quick stop (haha) in Paige to visit the local Wal-Mart and Sonic for lunch.  We had a close call on getting a room.  Who would have thought that Monday nights in the park would be so busy!!  Hiked the canyon the next day where the temp turned quickly to scorching as we descended down.  What a Hike!  Good thing we took pictures on the way down because coming up killed us.  After a wonderful scenic day we headed back to Kanab along a different route. (89 a)  Came upon some fun rock formations along the way and returned to Kanab late that night without a hotel room available except for a two queen bed room so there we stayed..all 6 of us :)  Most definitely a quick trip but a remember-able one! Thank you Rowlans for wanting to see the Grand Canyon and needing some company!!

and....We are off!

A quick stop at the Cove Fort

Our first night.. in Kanab

lunch in Paige Az.

Grand Canyon

Us at Grand Canyon!

Our room in Grand Canyon

On our way back to Kanab

Amazing!  The girl and the rock!

sooo strong!