Fieldtrip: Hogel Zoo

We moved from Price in April, and since school didn't get out until May I enrolled my kids in home school! I am officially a home school mom! I was extremely overwhelmed with the idea, but as I got into I actually loved it! What a great experience! It was hard! Four kids, four different ages, and attention spans! But really I thought it went so great! We had an awesome routine and schedule every day. I loved all the material we studied. My favorite part was read aloud after lunch! The kids loved having recess! And we even had field trips! One of field trips was to the Hogel Zoo with our cousins! School doesn't get much better than that!

Here is the crew! Just missing three grandkids! They sure a cute bunch! 

The silly boys! 

Cute Carder seeing the elephant! He loved seeing all the animals! 

How many kids can fit in the nest?! 

We loved watching the sea otters and seals swim!

And what is a trip to the zoo without a ride on the carousel?! 

Cute Sadie on the giraffe! 

Carder wasn't too sure about this carousel! 

I think all the kids chose the giraffe! 

Look at all those monkeys in the zoo!!

Thanks Grandma Lewis for a fun day at the zoo!!

Moab Camping Trip!

A week after we moved out of our house in Price we had a camping trip down in Moab! Sure! Why not?! We are homeless anyway we might as well go (we are living with my parents until we can get in our new house!) We had been planning this for several months. It would be a reunion with all Nate's friends and college roommates: 'the fellas'!! We were really excited about this trip especially to see all our old friends. We haven't seen many of these friends for years and years! As the time got closer Nate felt like it wasn't a good idea to go because he didn't think he could take the time off since he just started a new job. I told him I was going no matter what (thinking I could eventually persuade him to go!) Well as it turns out Nate really couldn't go, but I was committed and determined to attend! So I packed the car, and loaded up four kids by myself and took off for my first camping trip as a lone ranger!!

The kids slept most of the drive down to Moab!

I knew the kids would be okay with the drive. They are used to road trips and I knew they could handle it to Price and Moab was just a little farther! So we set off for our adventure without daddy! :(
As we drove past Price and we were somewhere in the middle of nowhere all of a sudden I had this thought: "What in the heck am I thinking!?!" Driving all this way...by myself...camping...with four kids....all alone!?! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea! What if something happens?!

But somehow I did it! We had the greatest time! It was amazing! I can't wait to do it again! But next time I will take Nate!

Between setting up the tent, getting our camp ready, chasing four kids, feeding them, helping them, visiting with friends, and everything else I did by myself I only took one picture the entire time! I am so bad! Dang it! Well, we were just having way too much time for pictures! My kids LOVED meeting new friends and playing with their new friends. At the campground was a playground, perfect for the kiddos to hangout and play! We went for a hike, which with so many little kiddos in the hot heat it just didn't turn out so good. But after the hike we had a fun picnic at the park and went swimming! So much fun!

So here are the fellas! What a great group of guys! They haven't changed a bit!

  

 Such amazing friends! It was like we hadn't been apart! We just picked up where we left off! When I was telling Nate about our trip I told him I had the worst night ever in all my history! Carder cried most of the night and we didn't not get a wink of sleep! He asked if it was worth it and I said: Absolutely! I would do it all again! No questions asked! I am so glad I went! It was totally worth it!

 Look at all these kids! Wowzers! It was fun how most of the kids matched up. They all felt like they had a friend. We will definitely have to make this a new tradition! We can't wait to do it again. I wish Nate could have gone. He was missed! Next year. Same time. Same place! Can't wait!

Good-Bye South Eastern Utah!

Farewell Price and the surrounding areas!! It has been a great FOUR years! The longest place we’ve lived yet! What a great place to raise our family. We have had great friends and wonderful neighbors. Nate applied for a job with the Forest Service in Ogden. He didn’t think had a chance of the job, but somehow I just knew he would get it! I am so proud of Nate for working so hard and climbing the ladder in his career. After traveling all over the nation and moving so many times this is it! 

Before we moved from Price we wanted to go to the San Rafael Swell one last time! We drove down to explore and hike around. We definitely will miss the red rock country!

 

Our little souvenir from Price! We had a kid with every move, in every state we lived! Kind of crazy how it turned out!

Mara on top of the world--or least a big rock! 

Hiking with our daddy! We didn't really have a certain trail, we just hiked around and explored!

 My kids have a love of climbing on top of big rocks!

It gives me the willies sometimes when I see them up so high, but they are little mountain goats and love climbing up high! 

Carder loved hiking around looking for bugs! 

 He loved playing in the red sand too!

Enjoying a little snack of daddy's homemade beef jerky! 

All that hiking tuckered him right out! 

This kid too! He is actually asleep under that hat! 

Silly picture of Ty! The kids were having too much fun taking pictures in the car! 

Another stop before we moved was one last fishing trip to the pond! We took a break for packing and cleaning and went to catch some fish! 

Sweet happy Caleb! He didn't even get a bite tonight! 

 

Ty has sure turned into a good little fisherman! 

What a great daddy we have to take the kids fishing! Even though we were super busy getting ready to move he knew it was important to the kids and had promised to take them so he did! 

 

We didn't catch any fish but we did have a really fun night! Good bye little fairground fishing pond! 

Good bye little house! It was so sad leaving this house! We had worked so hard on it and had really turned it into our home! We have had so many great memories here. It was sad leaving. I cried a few tears as we drove out of Price.

Such wonderful friends in Price!! That is what made it so hard to move! I had the greatest support system in Price! I love these ladies so much and grateful for them in my life. I know I could call anyone of these friends at anytime for anything! They were always there for me! It's hard leaving my friends behind and knowing I probably won't see many of them again.I just loved being surrounded by great friends and neighbors! I miss them all so much!!!

Valentine's Day FUN!!

Valentine's might have been a month ago, but we can still feel the love in the air around here!! The kiddos always look forward to making Valentine boxes. It's fun to see the creativity and the creations, but they sure do take a lot of time!

Mara wanted to make an owl. I thought it should say "Whoooo do you love!?" Super cute! It turned out great. I especially love the heart ruffles on the bottom! 

This was called "Ty's Tank!" He did a great job. Love the army guys and all! I think it should have been named "Love and War!" But Ty didn't get it nor did he like that suggestion! 

Caleb thought since Ty and Mara were making Valentine boxes he needed one too! And he KNEW just what he wanted: A green Ninja Valentine box! He was thrilled!  

The finished products!! The kids were so excited with how they turned out and they thought for sure they would win a prize! Well, they didn't win but I still think they had the cutest boxes around! 

There is just something special about making homemade valentines! I'm not sure what it is, call me old fashion, but it is so fun to pull out the red, white, and pink construction paper, glue, stickers, and doilies and cut out hearts for loved ones! Doing this fun activity with my children brought back many years of fun memories for me doing it when I was a kid!

Sure love these kids and grateful for a holiday we have to show and celebrate our love! Nate and I were able to celebrate together going to the temple and out to eat! What a great time we had! It was so nice to be at the temple together. It had been way too long! We ate more than we should have at Texas Road House but it was well worth it! I just Love Nate! I just LOVE my family!
Happy (BELATED) Valentine's Day!

Friends and Foes!

Sometimes I just don't understand my kids! One day they will all be best buds and play together so nice and laugh and have a great time....five minutes later they are arguing and fighting!! It drives me crazy! I just love it though when they do get along! I hope they are best little buddies now and best friends when they grow up!

 I looked out my back window the other day to see the cutest sight: three kids playing together so great! It just melted my little heart! They were all on the tramp laughing and doing pretend play! I had to get a picture of it to remember always!

I'm not sure what their pretend play was about...but I do know they each had some sort of weapon to protect themselves! They are sure cute to watch and I much rather have them best friends than foes! 

Cute! I love that my children love books! I love that they love to read! It's fun to see them all reading at the same time!

A year and a half!!

Carder is already 18(+) months! Our blond little buddy boy is talking, running, climbing....does everything the big kids do! I just can't believe how big he is getting!

Carder started going to nursery, Nate still helps with the transition. He likes the snack part and when mom comes in and sings with him, other that he's not a huge fan of nursery!
Carder really enjoys watching the Baby Einstein movies. He has one with all the animals that is his favorite. As he watches it he says all the animals sounds when he sees the animals.
Carder still loves books the most and now can say so many words and animals sounds from the books! It's so fun to hear him talk!

What kind of face is that?! A pretty darn cute silly face that's for sure!!

Carder thinks he is pretty funny climbing inside his stacking toy! 

 One of Carder's favorite things to do is climb up on a chair by me and play in the water at the sink!

 I love the spiky slick-back hair! Carder loves brushing his teeth!

 "Who is a messy boy?" "Me!!"

What a handsome little dude! 

Let me introduce you to "B"! B is Carder's blanket. "THE Blanket!!" Carder LOVES B! We don't go anywhere without B! Carder loves carrying B around the house. He loves feeling the soft edges and putting his little fingers inside the binding! He loves laying in his crib and holding B!

Now that is a chocolate face!! Carder helped me make chocolate chip cookies! By helping I mean he ate most of the chocolate chips!