The start of a new year

This is all our stuff leaving Utah

This is all our stuff stuck in our drive way. Notice the semi is high centered . After 3 hours of hard work and 3 broken heavy chains they started to unload it from where it sat.  18,000 pounds later they were able to pull it out.

First day of church in Kansas

If you have ever seen the movie The birds...This was worse. Holy cow! I have never seen so many birds  together in my life. They were landing in all the trees and the power lines were covered and they were all squawking.  At one point a hawk flew threw and grabbed dinner.

We have a beaver problem! Matt had his table and his gun waiting for dusk. Yes he shot one.   What is left of it or where it went we will never know!

The kids discovered the joy of swinging from tree branches yesterday!

Yesterday was in the mid 60's it seemed like a warm spring day. Hattie rode the 4 wheeler all afternoon.

I have no idea how the boys find so much entertainment in nothing but they were having fun.

On a more serious note!
We attended our first 3 hour session of church today. It was an early start. To our surprise we got the 9am start time.  We had to leave the house at 8:15am to get there on time. Our ward seemed very small but we were told that many families were missing due to the holiday.
I don't know what exactly it is but it is so much different than going to church in Utah. It may be that I knew everyone in  our old  ward and that they all lived within 3 blocks. Don't get me wrong I love and miss them!
We got the warmest welcome from everyone in our new ward today. It made me feel bad that I never extended the same efforts to others that were new in our old ward. We have already been asked if the scouts could do a camp out on our property and earn some merit badges.
I told Matt he is just bound to be in the scouts. Probley me too!  I feel very humbled and grateful to be here.  I became aware of my biggest flaws today and I intend to be better. Last Sunday a new member of the church talked. He bore such a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon . It hit me hard that I had never sat down and read it from front to back. I study and bounce around here and there but never front to back. I started last Monday and I have likened it to my life. I have read things that have opened my eyes and really strengthened my testimony. When I left Utah I had a falling out with my sisters. It left me very hurt and confused. As I was at a loss for words and have a hole in my heart I have found comfort in reading from the Book Of Mormon. Just in this last week I truly have gained a testimony that we can turn to the scriptures and they will guide us and give us comfort. I wish I would have had the faith to turn to scripture and apply it to my life long ago. (I mean truly apply it and liken it to my life)  I think if I knew what I know now I would have handled my sisters differently. I was quick to defend myself and quick to anger because of my hurt. If I could have remained Christ like. I could have at least set the example to them they needed me to set. I am truly humbled and grateful for this new road my life is going down.
 In our lesson today the teacher said " many people make new goals in the new year of what they want to do, but never do they write goals of what they want to be!"  
My goals for this year are " what can I be to be more Christ like"  I think if I set goals like this the rest of my goals will fall into place.

To all my peeps in Utah I love and miss you!

     

We are off to a good start

            We have been in Kansas for about 2 weeks now. We have been in our house for 1 week tomorrow. I must not have had very much stuff because we are pretty close to being all unpacked and put away. I am loving the new house. I have so much more space and storage. I love waking up every morning and opening my curtains to the beauty that surrounds us. We are on my dream property.


In our contract we own 6.5 acres but we have full use of the 70 acres around us. We had the owner take us out on 4 wheelers and show us all his property so we new what was ours to use. It has been so nice not to hear the kids saying "I am board" It was such a nice day out today that all the kids woke up and headed out to fish. (that was weird)   Then to make it more weird. Matt threw the paddle boat in and let them have at it. They never caught any fish but had a blast backing the boat back and forth around the entire pond until all the ice was broke up. They will all be stiff tomorrow.  I think the paddle boat is going to be my new workout...but I am going to wait until the ice melts and temps are a little higher.

Slush fishing

Breaking up the ice ! 

They were all loving it

Avri is loving it

New adventures up ahead!

This is our new house in Tecumseh Kansas. It is very sad to leave behind loved ones and all the good people we have met over the years. We are very excited to start a new adventure.  Not shown in the pictures... We also have 2 big cement rooms in the basement. (safe rooms in case of a tornado) We also have the house wired for a back up generator.  2 car garage with a 3 garage on the lower level of the house.

Formal living room as you walk in, wood burning fire place. French doors to go out on the deck.

Formal dinning room off back side of the formal living room.

Kitchen. 

Another view of the formal living room

Master bedroom, also has a door out onto the deck, and built in shelves

I have my own separate laundry room. Has a huge wash sink.

Screened in porch.

Part of our 6.5 acres

View of the back yard

More of the pond...it has ducks

lower level of deck

Another view

Back of the house

View from the upper deck

Wood burning fire place and french doors from lower level family room.

Guest bathroom

Master bath.

Third bathroom in lower level

Family room...Pool tables ours 

Another view

Twins room, Boys room is the same size but only one window. 

Avri and Hatties room. Nice and big

 

Summer 2011

            I thought keeping up on this blog was going to be easier than this. It has been a crazy summer...    


                                                   Although, we have not really done much, besides our 2 week trip! 

We did go to Texas for 2 weeks. We spent 3 of those days at south Padre Island.  We stayed in a hotel on the island that had a board walk off the back of the hotel. It also had an amazing swimming pool right in front of the beach.  The kids kind of bounced back and forth between the pool and the beach all day.

        

FYI: South Padre Island is only 10 miles from the boarder. We had to go through a check point to leave.

My favorite time. Was waking up at 6:00am and walking down to the beach.  I can not explain the feeling.  I walked out to the beach. The sun had not come up yet. There was a layer of fog in the air. There were a few joggers running by every once and awhile, but for the most part I was the only one out. There is a soft breeze that was coming off the ocean. You have the sound of the waves coming in. Then the sun starts to come up. The feeling that came over me was a wash of emotion. It was so serene. I could not help raising my arms in the air and closing my eyes to feel it.  If you want to feel close to heaven go sit on the beach all alone on a perfect morning and watch/feel the sun come up! 

I brought Avri, Hattie and Belle with me the next morning.

Although they did not feel what I did, it was neat for them to watch and I got some cool pictures of them.

Fog before the sun came up.

Love that face!

We found some cool seashells! 

We all played in the sand! The kids dug up so many tiny clams...that the next day I told them "today we are going to go dig as many clams as we can, then we are going to take them out of their shell and microwave them for lunch" So funny all the kids were ready to go catch some lunch!

Trying to make a face in the sand.

Avri

Matt and His dad hanging out in the shade

Me and the kids making sand sculptures

Back In Houston...Where grandma and grandpa live. The kids were entertained by the dogs! I am not sure who had more fun..the kids or the dogs.

Kids swimming with aunt and uncle in Houston pool

The twins celebrated their 8th birthday in Texas.

Friends mom wanted to make up the twins and take pictures. 

Kyle started football. He has been practicing 6 days a week for 2-1.5 hours.  He is loving it...Maybe not as much as I wish he would! I have always told him he is going pro...He may play and act like he enjoys it just for my sake!

The twins got baptized August 6th.  It was a very personal day. We only had a couple family members show up and a few neighbors, but the lack of people did not make the big day any smaller. The spirit was so strong...I just wish everyone else could have felt it.

 So thats our summer!  





             

New Puppies!

Some how!

Long story short!

We promised Hattie a lizzard for her birthday.

Matt is a softy and we ended up with two NOT one.. but two miniature poodles.

They are sisters. They were 8 weeks when we got them. They are now 11 weeks.

Aside from all the potty training and keeping them out of the boys arms they have been very good puppies. 

Yesterday they found their way to a tray of strong D-Con we had in our garage.  Luckily I was outside and saw them eat it. We got them to a vet within an hour and a half. The vet induced vomiting and then gave them a charcoal treatment. They are also on vitamin k for the next 30 days twice a day. The vet said we were very lucky to have caught it as the puppies both would have been dead by morning. The vet also said to do follow up blood test every 10 days for the next 30 days to make sure they are not going into organ failure and that their blood is clotting normally. We are to watch for bruising and blood anywhere else on the body.  

That being said.. an after hours vet clinic on a Saturday night YA!  Lets just say we have some golden puppies!

It makes you think!

I am the one who says put them down! BUT in the moment....where do you as an owner draw the line on the measures you are going to take to save a pet.  The bigger question...Your children's pet?  It is weighing heavily on my mind. Blood tests another couple hundred dollars....and if they come back and say it is not looking good!  Then what?  IVS lots of medications LOTS of $$$... Where do you draw the line especially if you have already spent more than you ever swore you would on a pet or pets!!!