April Fools Day Fun 2014!

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Austin's Baptism

Before I move one, I feel I need to go back and do a special post for Austin. On November 30, 2013, Austin was baptized in Vernal, Utah. It was an extremely cold day, but a very special one. In the morning I took Austin to the Vernal Temple to get some pictures since it is a tradition I have made with my kids. We spent about twenty minutes taking pictures and Austin was such a trooper especially when I asked for a few shots without his coat. The temperature was about 22 degrees. My fingers were frozen within about 5 mins. And so was Austin's nose. He was great though and we got several really neat pictures of him around the temple. I love the images of him with his scriptures and it was fun to share a few sweet moments with my son. Later, we met at the church with friends and family to celebrate Austin's decision to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There is always that special moment when you watch your child come out of the water and see their face beaming. The Spirit is so strong. This time Adam nearly broke down in the middle of the baptismal prayer because the Spirit was so strong. Then when Austin's received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, it doesn't matter who is being confirmed, that moment is so special and powerful that I always cry. Seeing my son and watching him make positive decisions in his life make me feel so proud to be his mother. Before I know it he will be a missionary. Love you Austin!

Happy 10th Birthday Kelseanja!

It is hard to believe how fast my kids are growing up! In February, Kelseanja turned 10! It seems like she was my sweet little baby girl who rarely cried and loved to cuddle. Now she is always ready for the next activity and playing with her friends. She is trying her hand at cooking and is doing really well. Her first attempt at fried eggs turned out perfectly and tasted so yummy! She recently even created her own soup and is not afraid to throw ingredients together to try something new. It is nice to have another person who likes to cook. Between her and Makayla it means that there are less meals that I have to cook which is so nice. For Kelsea's birthday, she went to Activity Days then we did a family party at home. She talked to family on the phone and opened several fun new gifts. I think her favorite is the large stuffed panda bear although I think she liked the rug and lamp to decorate her room as well. She also wears at least one of her new bows every day and has already painted at least one painting with her new paints. Kelseanja is such a joy to have in our family. She is so helpful and has such a sweet spirit. I am so happy that I am her mother and that I get to watch her learn and grow even if she isn't my little baby girl anymore. Love you Kelseanja!

Back to Blogging!

It is hard to believe that it has been quite awhile since my last post. I knew I was behind, but I didn't realize that it had been that long. Looking at the photos and reading the last posts I made really brings back memories. I have been trying to decide how summarize the last couple years for our family. One of the last posts I made was about our new house in Colorado. We had a great year in that house and loved the time we spent getting to know our new neighborhood and ward. Also, being in our new house was a great relief after renting for several years before. Well, I guess we got comfortable too soon because it was only about a year later that Adam was given the opportunity to move to Fort Worth, Texas for a better job within the same company. He was worried about if his current job in Colorado was going to last for very long. I was not too happy about the prospects of moving to Texas, especially after just moving, but in my heart I knew it was what we needed to do. After some time on our knees praying, we spent three weeks in Texas as a family looking for a new house. It was stressful! We looked through so many homes and put offers on a few with no luck. We were shopping in a buyer's market and houses were going on and off the market like hot cakes. Finally, just before we were to go home, we walked through a house that we felt was perfect for our family and also at a great price. It was perfect! We put an offer in and it was accepted! We were relieved as we traveled home. Then a few weeks later, the boys, Adam, and I came back to finish the paperwork and close on the new house. It wasn't long before we ran into a snag though. The appraisal came back with a value price much lower than the listing price. So much so, that we knew there was no way the owners would agree to sale it for that price. It was back to looking for houses! Let's just say it was discouraging. Nothing felt right. I was ready to go home. It was July and Texas in July is nothing, but HOT and HUMID. And being stuck in a hotel with three bored little boys while taking online classes, while Adam worked all day, was not my idea of an enjoyable summer. Not to mention my girls, who were staying with a friend in Colorado, kept asking when we would be home. It had already been two weeks. All of us were homesick! We had walked through 37 houses which don't even include the ones that Adam saw without me. We really made our real estate agent work for his paycheck this time. There was one house we walked through which was a bit out of budget, but a possibility if we could quickly sell our Colorado house. I was nervous about it though. Adam and I were back on our knees praying for help on what to do. It was only minutes after our prayer that the phone rang. It was our agent, he had just got a call saying the owners of the house we were originally supposed to be closing on had decided to sell the house at the appraised value. I knew the Lord was answering our prayers. I later said a prayer to thank Him and to bless the owners. We were ecstatic! It meant we would have to stay for another week, but we would have a house! Well, to make a long story a little shorter, we moved to Texas in August of 2012. It was quick! We have settled in quite nicely to our new home. We have been here for a year and a half now. Our new ward is amazing and I am happy we have been able to meet so many wonderful people and new friends. We do miss our family and friends in Utah and Colorado though. We also miss the mountains. A GPS is a must have here because it is easy to get lost which I have done a few times, but it has helped me to learn more about where we live. The schools are lots better than in Colorado. Class sizes are smaller and my kids are all doing pretty good. They had to do some catching-up, but overall they are doing well. We live close to the zoo, a handful of museums, tons of parks, and lots of tourist attractions. Overall, this life is good!