Day 6: Downtown Salt Lake, July 17, 2012

Day 6 we went downtown.  L and I are such planners, but this was difficult to figure out all the logistics.  We had C working and then scouts and Young Women that night.  We talked forever to figure it out, but we thought we had it!  It didn't work out quite as we planned, but it was good enough.  :)

We took the Frontrunner train down.  It was so nice to be able to sit and chat and not worry about traffic and parking.  All the cousins seemed to enjoy being together as well.  :)

It was so nice to see them all together, particularly to see J and G as they have grown up.  They are almost the same age and they enjoy being together.

We get to see the Salt Lake Temple almost every year, but it still is such an awe-inspiring site, particularly for J.  He absolutely loves temples-all of them.  He loves to be around them and he was so excited to be there this time as well.  

 All the kids have electronic devices and they were all taking pictures.  When they weren't taking pictures, they were playing in the water.  It was a very hot day and very refreshing!

We took the opportunity to go up the Church Office Building elevator to view all of Salt Lake City.  It was cool to see the buildings on all sides.  We especially loved seeing the temple.  From this height, it looked so small.

 Here we all are:  

Front:  G, C, J, and CR

Back:  L, K, me, and S

 We were so blessed to see Mami and Papi (XDH's parents).  I can never express adequately how blessed I feel to have them still in my life.  They are amazing people and there would be a huge hole if we were not still in contact.  It was difficult to see them only a couple of times this trip.  These pictures were when it was almost good-bye.  That was difficult.  :(

 Before good-byes, we went over to the Church Museum.  Papi is always full of fun and silliness, including wearing a skirt to dance!

 Then, we walked over to a new mall there.  I loved this picture with K taking charge of all these cousins.

This new mall has a couple of fun water features where the kids can play.  Since it was a hot day, they LOVED it!  :)

 Finally, headed home after a busy day.  JM, K, and I took these four little ones with us.  We enjoyed them and JM and I enjoyed some needed adult conversation.  

 And thus the end of a crazy busy day.  I am so blessed to have so many families that I love so much.  This family is absolutely amazing.  Their faith and dedication to the gospel, their families, and each other is amazing.  Their love for me and my children is a huge blessing in our lives.  We wish we lived closer and were able to see them every week instead of once a year.  How blessed we were on this trip.  So worth all the miles.  I would do it again-pregnant or not-so worth it!

Day 5: Enjoying Utah family time, July 16, 2012

 Monday, we had a plan all worked out to go downtown.  Then, a big storm came through-right during the time we would have to have been driving.  We watched the weather and tried to decide if we were okay.  After talking to Papi and Mami and hearing about the weather they were receiving, as well as watching the news, we decided to safe and stay home.

Luckily, we had already had all day with the cousins playing together, working on their movie, and S practiced facepainting, since she was going to help Z (sister-in-law) with her thriving business.  They did a great job and J really wanted to be a tiger like last year-and he got it!

 Then, we took the kiddos out for ice cream, just to get out of the house.  We had a great time.  This picture is not great of the three of us, but I love these women soooooooooooooooooooo much that I had to include it!  How very blessed I am!!!!!

Day 4: In Utah, church, and family time, July 15, 2012

 Cousins after church.

 The cousins always make a "movie."  Here they are rehearsing-see the camera ready to film!

 The youngest four didn't fit at the big tables, so they got their own.  They enjoyed it!

 K with two of her cousins, C and S.

 And, here are the boys.  C with his cousins, S and CR.

Finally, part of why we all got to meet together Sunday afternoon is to celebrate the birthdays of these two ladies.  On the left is L, a dear family friend that I was grateful to see again on this trip.  On the right is my dear sister, L.  She had just had a birthday a couple of days before and it was wonderful to gather together and celebrate.

Total for dinner that day, we had 9 adults and 10 kids.   It was a fun and wonderful full house!

Day 3, Drive to Utah, July 14, 2012

From Denver, we drove through Wyoming to get to Utah/Idaho.  We had to work to plan my walking stops to be able to stop at Little America, but, as the kids said, "It's TRADITION!"  So, we stopped.  It was great to have a walking stop where I could walk around the hotel buildings and not just a gas station.  The kids loved being able to stop and play on the playground.

 A favorite part for K and A was that it rained a little while we were there!  They got to use K's new umbrella!

When we made it to my Sister-In-Law's home, we got to rest for a bit and then CK's parents came to get he and Aubrey to go spend four days in Idaho.  It was so hard to say good-bye, even for such a short time.  It was so worth it, though, to spend time with this part of our family!!!  I love my sisters-in-law and my parents-in-law and even though XDH and I are no longer married, we still have the bonds of family that bind us together.  Our kids love each other and enjoy "cousin time," and we love each other and the challenges of the last few years have brought us all closer together, rather than creating a wedge between us.  What a blessing!

Day 2: Colorado, July 13, 2012

 It was so nice to be in cooler Colorado weather, although it was super hot for Colorado-upper 90's, maybe even a hundred or two.  Still, it cooled down at night and the kids could comfortably play outside in the morning and CK and I could enjoy an evening walk each night.  I love my parents' big backyard.  :)

 My brother, S, loves games, particularly strategy games.  So does C.  They enjoyed spending time together playing around our running around and S working.

 My parents also own many "sets" of toys from when all of us kids were little.  Their grandkids love them.  J and A had a blast playing with these sets together-even though they didn't have much space (since C and S were playing their game on the floor).  :)

 We have a museum pass to a local museum (Thanks, Santa!) and part of the blessing is that the museum shares a reciprocal agreement with other museums, including one in Denver.  So, we went.  It was fun.

One surprise as we entered the museum, a dear friend from highschool, M, was just leaving with her cute family.  We haven't seen each other in years, although we have maintained some contact-Facebook, of course.  :)  We only had a couple of minutes, but it was a blessing to me!

 We let each child choose an exhibit that they most wanted to see as a family.  C chose this overlook that lets us see the view of Denver.  It was very pretty and very HOT!

 J and A especially enjoyed the dinosaurs.  I think J loved it the most.  A loved to check to see if the bones were actual bones or replicas.  It was interesting to read carefully and find that most exhibits were part of each.  Very cool.

We found it very interesting to listen to this gentleman.  He was working on some dinosaur bones behind the glass.  When he saw us watching, he opened the window and shared about the work that he was doing.  It was neat to hear and it sounds like way too frustrating a job for me--like a puzzle that might or might not have all the pieces.

 After we got home, CK and I had the opportunity to go visit one of my best friends EVER!  She has been a strength and support to me and we have both had some challenges that we have dealt with together.  I think she is amazing.  She moved just a mile away from my parents about a year ago.  This time, we visited, both pregnant (me about 6.5 months, her about 8.5 months).

Here she is with her daughter, Q.  I love Q.  I wish I could still see her grow.  I have a bunch of pictures of her doing yoga, but they all turned out fuzzy.  It was so fun to watch and she just loves attention and phones!

What a great day!  :)  Day 2/15 completed!

Day 1: Drive to Colorado, July 12, 2012

Finally....Pictures!  We began the long journey and started the drive to Colorado.  Getting out and walking every hour and a half worked out better than expected!  The kids did well in the car and they needed the more frequent breaks almost as much as I did.

While I have made this trek nearly annually since 2002, this was the first time that another adult has been with me.  I am so grateful for CK and his sacrifice to come with us for the entire vacation.  He had to work on the road, but he chose to do that to make sure my little 7 month pregnant self would be okay.  I am so blessed!

We hadn't seen A for nearly three weeks and the reunion of her with K, C,  and J was precious.  I am so impressed with how they love each other as siblings, never with the nomenclature of "step" siblings.  What great children I have!

Home Again. Home Again.

So much to blog!  So many pictures.  So much to document.  We have had a great, yet very busy summer--and that doesn't even account for this baby coming in less than two months!  We still need to get ready for her and for school.  Life is crazy, yet beautiful.

We just got home from a 15-day vacation.  We saw all three of our families.  (And I have pictures that I have downloaded and gone through and others that I am currently downloading)  Now, being 7 months pregnant, the only way to take a 3600 mile road trip with my doctor's permission was to commit to walking 15 minutes for every hour and a half in the car.  We did it and it was much easier than I expected.  The kids loved the frequent breaks and we worked to time most breaks with a gas stop or a food stop.  We used to not eat in the car, but we did and it worked.  Within a day, we saw most of XDH's family (only missing 1 nephew, 3 nieces, and a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law (nephew on a mission, rest in Boston), on multiple days we saw all of CK's family, and in less than a week, we saw every member of my family--they were more spread out, some in Utah, Colorado, and Texas.  That, alone, is success!

Here is the brief before-picture recap:

Day 1:  Drove to Colorado, 14.5 hours, 800 miles
Day 2:  Spent visiting in Colorado, went to the Denver museum, saw my dear friend, J.
Day 3:  Drove to Utah, 9 hours, 520 miles:  CK and A went up to Idaho with his parents, while the other three kids and I spent time with our other family (XDH's family).
Day 4:  Went to church with my sister-in-law and her family, had family dinner, and celebrated some family July birthdays with everyone.
Day 5:  Hung out with cousins and loved being together!
Day 6:  Went to downtown SLC on the train.  We saw the temple, the church office building, and the new mall.  It took hours for L and I to figure out how to make it all work and it didn't go as planned, but all were safe and happy by the end--and that is all that mattered.
Day 7:  Spent the morning with the Utah family, then drove to Idaho, 2.5 hours, 150 miles
Day 8:  Drove to the cabin where we were holding the family reunion (Island Park, ID), didn't record miles, but approximately 4 hours.
Day 9:  K Family Reunion:  Went out on the boat, including tubing.  We also floated down the river.  Mostly we enjoyed being together.
Day 10:  More reunion:  Rode the boat together, I paddleboarded (that is a site to see with my prego belly). The kids broke pinatas and did a scavenger hunt.  After lunch, we all cleaned up the cabin and headed out.
Day 11:  We went to church with CK's parents, who happen to live in the same small town as many of my cousins and my aunt and uncle.  It was great to see everyone.  We ate a quick lunch and headed to Utah. I didn't write down any notes on miles or timing, but it took a while.  We went to my brother's home where we ate dinner with him and his wife and another brother and his wife. K and A went home to sleep at my 2nd brother's, while the rest of us stayed overnight there.
Day 12:   All of us met for breakfast and then we headed to Colorado, 10 hours and approximately 850 miles.
Day 13:  Visited my friend, J, who now had a baby girl, born while we were in Utah!  We also went to a local amusement park with all the Colorado family and my best friend of over 20 years.
Day 14:  Attended a session at the Denver temple with CK and K then joined us (thanks to Grandma!) and performed baptisms for the dead.  We also met A (my best friend for over 20 years) and her hubby for a double date and then played croquet together in my parents' backyard.
Day 15:  Drove home.  16. 5 hours and many miles.  We were halfway home when a light indicating transmission problems came on.  We stopped at a couple of mechanic places-they gave different ideas and could not help us directly, so we called our mechanic here in town.  He said that the light going back off could mean we were okay to drive home, but if it went back on, his suggestion was to take it in immediately. With that advice, we drove on-45 minutes- and the light came back on.  We were in the middle of nowhere with hundreds of miles of no big cities ahead of us.  We turned around, found a Honda dealer, set up an appointment, and took the van in, 45 minutes back-the wrong way!  Due to all the unexpected chaos, we had not even eaten lunch.  The kids were actually very good.  I am impressed with all four taking the situation in stride.  We left the van doing a diagnostic and walked over to a fairly close WalMart that had a McDonald's inside.  We ate and hoped that we wouldn't need to stay overnight somewhere.  When the call came, the diagnostic revealed that our transmission was okay, but the sensor was bad.  PHEW!  We will need to take it in soon to replace the sensor, but still--what a blessing!

Finally, we were home!!!!!

4th of July 2012

 This 4th of July was great!  It is my favorite holiday by far.  I do miss having a ward pancake breakfast, but it turned out well.

We ate blue star pancakes for breakfast.  Yum!

 Then we headed out early afternoon to a nearby lake to spend the day-basically waiting for the fireworks.  It was hot and most the people there were swimming and boating.  We found a little place in the shade and hung out there for a few hours.  It was fun.  CK and C played catch, the boys and I played croquet.  We read, we snacked, K and I played Dutch Blitz on a blanket.  It was very enjoyable.

 As it got closer to dark, we moved down closer to the lake.  Before it had been directly in the sun, but now we had some shade and a nice cool breeze coming off of the lake.  We decided not to go change into our swimsuits, but the kids did go wade in the water a few times.

 We brought our traditional light sticks and had fun playing with them until time for the fireworks.

This was a new location for us this year.  The fireworks were equally as good and I loved the reflection on the lake.  The downside was that we were across the lake and so the fireworks were smaller and farther away.  This display didn't include any live music like the other one did and we missed that as well.  It was fun, though, and we already have some begging to return next year!

P.S. ---All my older pictures off my computer are gone----time to do some research to find them before I can finish catching up!!!!  Wish me luck

Catching Up---Again

Well-It has been almost a month since my last published post.  We have had such a crazy life and so much that has happened.  We are so blessed.  Now, here I am catching up--again.

We enjoyed having A here with us.  Having all four kids together really makes our family complete.  I feel so blessed with how much they love each other.  All four have been willing to open their hearts and give of themselves to blend our family and to become siblings.  What a blessing!

More and more, I am in awe and blessed that my trials (now that I can look back) have been "but a small moment."  Heavenly Father truly stood by me and took care of me every step of the way.  I have been blessed with a husband that loves me more than I could have imagined possible and a marriage that is absolutely amazing.  How thankful I am.  I know Heavenly Father and Jesus live.  They know me.  They love me.  They know each of us and love each of us and we are all so blessed.

I am working on being optimistic, faith-filled, and happy.  Before all that happened with the divorce, I was naturally quite optimistic, but now, I can see a pessimistic and whining side coming out.  I don't like it.  I have way too much to be thankful for to focus on the difficulties and hardships of life.  So, I am working on it.

Also within the last month, K turned 13.  Me???  The mother of a teen???  Oh, yes!  It is true and she is absolutely wonderful.  She is learning as she grows and developing into a young woman that I am so proud of.

Speaking of being a mother, Baby Girl is now only 2 1/2 months away from due date.  I am uncomfortable.  But, I know this is another small moment that will pass probably before I am prepared for her.  We have not decided on a name yet.  We aren't arguing over different names, we just haven't found one that jumps out at either of us.  I assume it will happen.  :)  I had a second ultrasound to check on the placenta Friday.  All is looking better.  Wahoo!  The cute thing is that she kept sticking her tongue out throughout the ultrasound.  :) Because all looks well, my doctor has cleared me to go on our summer trip at the end of the month:  Colorado, Utah, and Idaho-  Here We Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I just have to get out and walk 15 minutes for every hour and a half driving.  We will figure it out.  I am excited to see all my family-3 families in two weeks:  awesome (but not long enough!).

So-this is our life right now.  I will now try to catch up on the posts, but at least here is a picture-less sneak peak!