Hello again!

So I know what you are all thinking! What a lamo for not posting all summer! I have been without a camera all summer and have been waiting for pictures to trickle in from everyone so that I have something to blog about. I also have really been struggling this summer and have not been up to blogging. As many of you may have heard Jess and I have been trying to have a baby for a few years now without any good results. On Hunter's birthday I went in for an ultrasound of what I thought was a normal 10 week pregnancy and found out that the baby had stopped developing and there was no heartbeat. It was a big surprise to us and very emotional as you can imagine. I went in for a D&C two days later and have had a very hard summer physically and emotionally. We had told the kids that we were going to have a baby and they were SOOOO excited, so to have to explain that to them was a hard thing. I never realized how emotionally draining this sort of thing is! I am still struggling with this (some days are better than others) but luckily for me I have had great support from my family! I am keeping busy and just trying to think positive! I may never know Heavenly Father's reasoning for this but am trying to put my trust in him and know that we are supposed to learn something from this trial.(here again some days are better than others!) But I know that Heavenly Father will never give us anything more than we can handle, I just am not sure why he thinks I can handle this! I am a little worried that he has gotten me mixed up with someone much stronger and is sending me her trials! :) I just want to let my family know how much I love them and appreciate their support through all of this. Through trials in life I can really see why God gave us families. I don't know what I would do without any of you! I love you!

But anyway I will be posting more of our summer as I get the pictures.

On a lighter note:
The kids have started school and are really liking it so far. Garrett is in 8th grade this year and Hunter is in 4th! Garrett is playing football again and Jess is helping coach so that keeps us busy 6 nights a week. I am working, trying to finish school and am the PTA president at Hunter's school this year. I am really enjoying it! I have found that I do much better when I am busy! Hopefully I will get a new camera soon and will be better about posting again!

Mom's Big Birthday Weekend!

For mom's birthday this year we wanted to do something memorable since it was a BIG one! (I won't reveal how many years young mom is but it rhymes with "trixty") he he. Angie, Kristy and I started planning months before and wanted to do something fun for her. Well Kristy came up with this awesome idea to send her and dad on a hot air balloon ride. Well mom is afraid of heights so we decided maybe we shouldn't do it, but her wonderful sister Anne informed us that she had done it and loved it and that we should do it for mom. So the planning started! Kristy booked the hot air balloon ride in Park City the weekend before her birthday and I called mom and dad's good friend to book the condo for the weekend. Mom and dad went up on Thursday, mom thinking that they were just spending a weekend alone. Well as kids we went up to this same condo a lot and mom got up there and started missing everyone! She called everybody on Friday and told us how sad she was to be there without all of us! Well little did she know when she called me that I was on my way to Park City with my family! Kristy and Spence also brought there family and spent Friday night as well. When we got there mom was shocked to see us, but pretty happy (I think)! We informed her that we were going for a hike the next day and we were leaving at 6:15 and she absolutely had to be in the parking lot and ready to go! Now why she believed that all of us and our kids were going hiking at 6 in the morning I am unsure, but she nicely went along with it! When we got to the place to meet and she saw the hot air balloon basket she about peed her pants! She was so nervous, but I told her that her sweet sister had insisted that she would love it! She was less than excited, but luckily she had time to calm down before we sent her on her way! Angie and her kids made the early morning trek to see meet us and so did Chris so I think that mom knew she was stuck!

Getting ready for the big ride! Can you see the death grip mom has on dad's arm?!?

Spencer, Maleah, Angie and me all watching the fun!

Kristy and Brighton

It was early and a little bit cold (as you can see by Miles BIG yawn and Hunter's missing arms)

Doesn't this picture just say it all!

I'm only doing this to please you kids!

Then we all jumped in our cars and followed the man that was the balloon chaser. We were all waiting at the end for mom and dad, hoping mom wasn't ready to kill us! We had a breakfast picnic and even sang to mom.


The group. We missed Dan, who couldn't make it, and Nate and Nico drove up later. We had a fun time hiking, and then went back and had lunch and swam for a while. It really was a fun weekend! I'm sure it's a birthday that mom will never forget! We love you mom, thanks for being a good sport!

Baseball tournament's

For Hunter's birthday we spent the WHOLE day at baseball tournaments! When I say the whole day I am really not kidding, we left home at 11:00 a.m. and the last game finished at 11:30 p.m. It was a long but fun day. Hunter played in Provo and Garrett in Spanish Fork. Lucky for us Jesse was coaching Hunter's team and was able to take work off so we each took a kid and met up at different times throughout the day.

Hunter playing 1st base. He really did well this year.

Garrett batting.

Garrett got to pitch some at tournament. He did really well considering he hadn't pitched all season.

Hunter enjoying an ice cream between games.

One last team cheer!

We ended up at tournament for 2 days. Both teams did really well.

2 long days at baseball tournaments =

2 very tired, dirty kids!

1 very burned mom!

and 1 very tired coach!

Great job guys! You did awesome! Hope your birthdays were memorable!

Birthday's and seven peaks

Both of the boys baseball teams made it to state tournament this year and so we decided to go to seven peaks water park and celebrate there birthdays before that all started.




Me and my boys!








Mom took pity on me and spent the day lounging

in the hot sun!

Garrett going down free fall

Hunter going down free fall

Josh going down free fall


What big strong boys! Hunter was so excited because this was the first year he was tall enough to go down free fall. He was a little nervous but with some encouragement from Garrett and Josh he decided to brave it and then spent most of the day going down it!

Pinewood Derby

Hunter got to participate in his very first Pinewood Derby race for cub scouts. He was so excited to build his car. Well the night before the race he got REALLY sick! So I kept him home from school the next day. He slept all day and just didn't feel like eating much. He hadn't gotten "sick" in 24 hours and he really wanted to go to the race. I didn't have the heart to tell him he couldn't go so we went. Well being the wise mother that I am I was worried that he hadn't eaten in 24 hours so we stopped for a shake! An Oreo cookie shake! Now I know what your thinking, maybe he "lost" his shake on the floor. Oh no even better! Once the sugar kicked in from that shake he was BOUNCING of the walls! Can you say EXTREME sugar high! He was crazy! (even more than usual)! But hey he had fun! And I am definitely not winner mother of the year AGAIN this year! (For more reasons than this one!!) he he

All the boys after the race.

Mother's Day

Mother's day this year was so nice. My boys were great to me and even did yard work with me on Saturday without complaining! A BIG accomplishment at our house!

Hunter made me this very cute card at school. He was so funny, I was putting away laundry a few days before and he came running in his room and stood in front of one of the drawers and told me not to open it because his mother's day present was in it. He was VERY worried I was going to see it.

Garrett came home from church with this note he had written in Young Men's.

In case you can't read it, it says:

Dear Mom,

Thank you for saving my butt from dad all those times he wanted to kill me.

Love, Garrett

Now I know some of you are thinking real nice mother's day card! But coming from a 13 year old BOY it was a very nice card! It made me laugh, and he was very proud of himself for that!

On Sunday afternoon we went for a BBQ at Angie and Don's.

All the mom's.

A boy in my parent's ward came over to visit on his dad's motorcycle. I have found a new love in life! It all started when my little brother got a motorcycle. I really wanted to drive it but he and Jesse wouldn't let me! Well they wouldn't let me drive this one either but I did get to go for a ride on the back. I told Jesse I really wanted one for us to ride together! (we'll see if that ever happens!)

I think mom and dad really liked the motorcycle too!

It really was a great mother's day, and I would just like to let my mom know that even if I tease you (a lot) it's only because I love you! You have been such a great part in my life and my family! You are a great example to me of what a mom does. Thanks for always being there for me!

Mother's Day Enrichment Night

My mom's ward had a Mother's day enrichment night, and Angie and I got to go. They had wedding dresses from the 1930's to the current day being modeled. It was interesting to see how the styles had changed through the years. Well I was lucky enough to get volunteered to wear my mom's dress.


Here's mom in her wedding dress when she got married. Isn't she beautiful!

Here is me in mom's wedding dress. Wow there's a sight! I think mom DEFINITELY looks better! It's a beautiful dress, but I'm a little tall for it!

It was a fun evening and mom's ward had put a lot of work into it. Thanks mom for the invite!