Just another week in paradise

No complaints here (well, except for Thursday night's football game)! I have been wanting to blog all week. I've wanted to steal from friends ideas like Wordless Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, Flashback Friday, Tender Mercies, etc. because I couldn't think of my own idea. So, still I really have nothing, except that it has just been a really good week. It was just all perfect--paradise--topped off with walking home from church with my girls today and playing in the leaves. I can't even report anything crazy and exciting! If it was anything crazy and exciting I would've taken my camera, but now I have learned the hard way that a simple week in paradise really deserves more pictures. Like pictures of: Sunday in Heber with family and a REALLY great dinner! Monday at children's choir, then coming home to a usual Monday crockpot meal and family home evening. Tuesday in Taylor's classroom and then a night with lots of girly giggles and squeels with some friends we don't see as much as we'd like! Wednesday at storytime with Emily, Kierra and the cutest neighbor boy that makes me realize how fun having a boy could be! Wednesday afternoon with other neighbor friends and then watching Kaylee in gymnastics. Thursday: 2 more gymnastics classes and getting to hold the 5th ;) most beautiful baby girl EVER! For our neighborhood it was a week of 2 new babies and a mission call which made paradise even more wonderful! Friday date night!! We planned so well to have Matt get to Olive Garden at a good time so we wouldn't have to wait. We didn't think we'd have to wait 2 sessions to get into the temple! Although I was worried about the girls and feeling bad for the babysitter it really was so relaxing and extremely peaceful to just sit in the temple. Then there are my mental pictures of Saturday. I LOVE a Saturday when we stay in pjs all morning, have a good breakfast and just stay inside. Matt and I got so much done too. Lots of paperwork and organizing, but mostly just hanging out as a family. (oh and me getting to run errands BY MYSELF for a good 90 minutes--that should've had a picture!) And then another good Sunday with reverent kids and amazing lessons! That was our week in paradise! I promise to be more exciting in the next couple of weeks. I will have more pictures posted by Thursday when my baby will be 1 (ahhhh!) and I'll have to once again go down memory lane.

Angels

Ok--in listening to the song that I just put with this blog I have realized that this post could get a lot more involved and complicated than I originally thought. I've started looking for pictures of Matt, my parents, Matt's parents, our grandparents, so many other friends and family etc. etc. There are so many people I could put on here, but for now I'll stick with my original plan of just posting my thoughts from this past week.

We got our first snow on Tuesday night/Wednesday. I LOVE the snow! I love when the girls do snow angels and want help up so that they don't ruin them. I do love all of the seasons, but I really love watching a good blizzard outside and that feeling of safety, warmth and comfort I feel cozied up in my home with my family. Yes, can you believe I'm gonna say this? I really do miss the Wyoming winters!! There is nothing like a whole town shutting down after a good blizzard. I miss listening to the radio wondering if school is cancelled. I miss seeing who made it to the church parking lot first on a snowy seminary morning, however I don't miss being in the big blue van in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I miss walking in a blizzard (and recent memories are with a kid's face popping out from inside Matt's zipped up coat--ok I really need to find some pictures) from the AA or the fieldhouse back to the van after a good volleyball or basketball game and I distinctly remember always feeling bad for all of those Cheyenne cars as we got to turn left off of Grand to go home. (sorry for the run-on sentence) I really miss a woodburning stove! I don't know that I miss travelling on Wyoming roads in the blue bus, the yellow bus or the UW vans, but I do love the memories--especially the memory of knowing the van lights were shooting straight up in the air because of the cold and that Grandma was watching us the whole way into or out of the valley. I miss REAL chicken noodle soup!

So here's to the beginning of winter!!!

This week's projects involved Kaylee's poster, Taylor's science experiment and a diaper cake! I think we all did a pretty great job!

And now I'll tie up my angel theme! I do miss Wyoming and my family all of the time, but these 6 ladies as well as many other friends that we have here are angels to me and to our family!! Since our baby shower fun on Saturday, all of these girls have written much better tributes and notes about our book club than I ever could. I LOVE these girls!! I was a few months late coming into this group that has been together for over 5 years and 60 books. My thoughts about each of these girls is already turning into a novel that is very hard to condense. I am really going down memory lane today. These girls were some of the first to welcome us to our new neighborhood, which for me was my first time away from home! I have served with them in the church in music, in primary, young women, and as a visiting teaching companion. I have laughed and cried (usually at the same time) with these girls. We are all different. We are all the same. I look forward to seeing them each month. Matt makes fun of me all of the time when I say I'm going to book club. Yes we read a book and even talk about it. Only a few times have we said, "wait, we haven't even talked about the book", as we are walking out the door at midnight. These are women I can talk to about the gospel and about life. These are women who have helped me through some of my hardest times and have given me some of my funnest times. They are some of the most tenderhearted, caring people I know. To T, E, I, K, H, S and our sweet, missing T ;) I love you all! Thank you for being a friend!

A Very Happy Halloween!!

Perfect weather! Perfect kids! Perfect fun!

Our neighborhood is the best for this stuff! With Kierra in the stroller the girls and Mommy walked the whole neighborhood while Daddy stayed home and passed out candy. It sprinkled on us a tiny bit but no one seemed to care. Even Kierra was content the whole time (good thing too 'cause the pacifier was left at home). All in all it was a perfect night!

Corn Mazes, Parties and HSM3!!

Finally!! At our house we have been counting down the days until HSM3 and the girls LOVED it! (all 5 of us) I'm thinking Matt was just along to take the picture (I forgot my camera so this is with his camera phone). He's a good sport--plus it was a blast watching the girls have so much fun!

Then here is the start of Halloween parties and corn mazes. I'm sure we'll have more pictures later this week of the pumpkin carving and more costumes.

.

Another weekend in Wyoming

3 weekends in a row to Wyoming! It was a lot of travelling, but a lot of fun! We knew Matt needed to do some work in Laramie soon and since the girls had Thursday and Friday off for fall break it just made sense for us all to go together even though we had just been there for Homecoming. It probably would've made more sense to have just stayed longer the first time and have the girls miss some school, but it all worked out. (and the weather was great for travelling!)

The girls had drug free week for the 3 days before fall break. On Tuesday they had to wear a shirt from their favorite sports team! I was thinking they would wear their soccer jerseys, but Grandpa has taught them well! (sorry Dad for almost messing that one up) ;)

Then...what kid wouldn't want to go to school in pjs for their birthday?! It was PJ day and crazy hair day on Wednesday which worked out perfect for picking girls up from school and driving 'till late at night. Kaylee had a great birthday getting to celebrate at home before school and then at Grandma and Grandpa Hoopes' late at night! Her class at school treated her well too writing notes to her in a book and giving her a crown. She had a blast!

We went an hour further east this time to visit Matt's sister in Cheyenne! The kids had so much fun with their cousins! It was great to visit them. We definitely need to get there more often!

Who can babysit Tuesday night?

This is the song I want for this blog! I can't figure out how to get it on a playlist. So for now pause the songs on the right then right click HERE to open the song in a new window. (still so much to learn about blogging--is there a way to fix the link so that it will automatically open in another window). Anyway, now you can listen to the words of our amazing camp song while you look at today's post.

I miss these girls so much already! I know I will still see them all of the time, but it won't be the same! For almost 3 years I have served as the young woman president in our ward. For those that don't know what that means, it means that I have spent an hour on Sundays and a couple of hours on Tuesday nights with the strongest, most amazing, talented, spiritual, confident, beautiful 12-18 year old girls ever! I have had help from some incredible women who are the best wives, mothers and friends that I know! I learned so much about myself and my testimony from these women and young women! (we are all young women right ;) !)

This also means that my wonderful family (mostly my wonderful husband) has sacrificed so much for me to put so much time and energy into this! Matt will you go out with me Tuesday night?! Oh wait--all of the babysitters will be at the corn maze. :( It has definitely been an emotional day!

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAYLEE GIRL!

7 years old already?! We love you so very much!