Camping at Lake Mormon

The last weekend in July, just before Cole and Ethan were about to start school.  We went on a family camping trip.  We were so excited, I had been on line looking at all the cool places there are around here to go camping.  I found the perfect place.  Sedona Arizona  has this beautiful canyon called, Oak Creek Canyon.  It has a natural rock slide and pools along the creek.  On line warned how busy it is and to come early to get a camp site (the camp sites were first come first serve).  We headed out and the excitement was more than we could stand.  We drove up to Sedona and the landscape was amazing.  When we got to Oak Creek Canyon we started to get worried about getting a camp site as we past camp ground after camp ground with signs saying they were full!  Needless to say, we didn't end up camping there.  We just kept driving and Flagstaff was only a few more miles away.  We headed up to Lake Mormon and pitched our tents.  I had packed for warmer weather and no chance of rain.  Now we were more up in the mountains and rain was in the forecast.  We all had our swim suits and no jackets.  Not being a real camper, I thought we should just turn around and go home.  I'm glad we didn't!  I was so much fun.  Yes, it did rain a little, but we had some of the best moments in the tent making up stories, making shadow puppets, and playing Uno.  It reminded me of when I was a kid and we would get stuck on Lake Powell in a rain storm.

The times it didn't rain we roasted marshmallows, went on a hike, and just hung out together.

Good times!

Cole Turns 10!

Cole's Birthday

10 years have gone by in a blink...I'm afraid of how fast time is going.

With Cole's birthday in the summer it is hard having a party when all your friends are not in town at the same time.  So we decided to take one of Cole's special friends to a local pool and make a day of it.  We spent a long time letting the kids swim, go down slides, and the lazy river.  Then went back to our house for pizza, cake, presents, and more fun.

Cole wanting to dive into his ice cream cake!

Day Trip #1

Walnut Creek National Monument

One Sunday back in July we woke up late and decided to skip church and go on a day trip up to the Flagstaff area.  It was great to go up to the mountains and cool off.  We've made it a goal to go on a day trip as much as we can.  We would really like to try and explore Arizona while we are here for these few short years.

We went on a hike through this canyon that had all these Indian ruins.  We all were amazed at what was built so long ago.

We also went to Lake Mary

It is a mountain lake near the town of Flagstaff. 

We stopped to put our feet in the cold water and have a picnic.

Bayja

Bayja

We love you and miss you more than words can say! 

She was our first baby.  She brought such life and love to our little family and she is truly missed.  On July 10, 2011 we had to let her go.  She had been losing weight little by little since February even though she ate and seemed normal, for an old girl.  While we were in St. George this last little while my Father who is a great veterinarian did all the tests he could do to see what was making her lose all the weight and some other symptoms she had been suffering.  In the end we came to realize that she had intestinal cancer in her small intestine and there was nothing we could do.  The cancer, up to that point was slowly starving her to death. We didn't notice right away.  What she ate was passing right though without being properly digested.  We had a hard decision to make, not one we came to easily, but we didn't want her to suffer any more and it was only going to get worse.

That Sunday was a beautiful morning in St. George.  It was a cool and a soft drizzle of rain was falling.  We sat on the back porch over looking the horses and said our good byes and held her for the last time.  She went so peacefully. 

We loved her so much, it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  How do you say good bye to one of the biggest parts of your life.



 Bayja at 2 months. 

She was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and we got her right after we finished school at Utah State and before we were to move to Colorado.  She was with us for each of our big adventures in life.  First big move, first house, all the births of our children, life changing directions (dental school).  She was a trooper and the best companion for all of it.

Our first family picture, August 2000.



Her first Halloween.

We only did this to her a few times, she really hated it, poor thing.

She was the best nap buddy.



Cole and Bayja

She was always on the look out for a yummy morsel to drop.

Her favorite things were, a game of fetch (she could go forever), FOOD, cuddling, and long walks.



We took this a couple of weeks before.  I wanted a picture with Bayja and the kids. 

This post was more for me than anything.



Father and Son's Weekend

Kevin took the boys for the Father's and sons camp out on Friday.  The boys were so excited and after a long year of dental school, they really needed this time with their father.

I heard they had a great time.

Nobody mentioned this little guy!

I was probably better off not knowing.

This is a new thing for me not having grown up with any brothers.  I felt bad for Isabel when the boys all left and she couldn't understand why she couldn't go.  So I thought that I would make it fun for her at home so she wouldn't feel left out. 

We pitched a tent in our living room!  She thought this was a great idea, it really made it fun after the boys left.  

Next year will be even better!  I've got all my creative juices going for next years

" Mother and Daughter weekend"!

Baseball 2011

Baseball ended for us a few weeks ago.  It was strange starting back in March, but it gets hot around here pretty early so it makes sense.  It was fun to finally get the boys in an activity.  It was our first since moving here.  I think I took for granted how easy everything was back in Colorado and how much cheaper it was.  But I finally found something we could get the boys in.  It wasn't great, but at least it was something.  They both had fun and that's all that matters.  

Cole

Coach Pitch

Ethan

T- Ball

Something Random...

I had to put this up. Izzy and Ash are such buds.  They love to spend time playing with each other while their older brothers are at school.  They play well most of the time.  I took this picture of them swinging together.  So cute!

 

We spent spring break in St. George.  I took off with the kids while Kevin stayed home to study.  This is the only picture I took.  This is my newest nephew Toa, my sister Sallie's baby.  Izzy wanted to hold him and I had to capture it.  He is such a little cutie!