Well I figure its about time I update my blog. A lot has happened since the last time I posted which was over a year ago. In that last post I posted about the previous year. Instead of playing to much catch up I'm going to post some pictures of the main happenings of our family over this last year and then just start fresh. I say main, but really it will be only a glimpse of our happenings. In a family there are countless activities and memories made that it would and will be difficult to pick them out specifically. But I need to do this and I need to start somewhere. I think it is such a great thing to do and I have too many precious memories to not. One of my best friends is such a faithful blogger and I love her posts and seeing her pictures of her sweet family. Its one way I still get to feel close to her as we live so far apart. So here it goes... I guess one of the biggest news is that we are expecting baby #5 August 21st which is in 2 weeks. We are so excited to meet our little girl! Its been so fun to see everyone of my children so excited over these months. Hallie always rubs my belly and kisses it. She finally gets her little sister she has always wanted. Ashton right now is excited, but I can tell he worried about his mom. He fasted for the first time on Sunday and prayed for both the baby and I. It of course meant so much to me. He often asks about the pain involved, what a sweet boy he is! Brody, you can just tell in face how excited he is and he loves hearing anything about the baby. He got to hear the heartbeat at my last appointment and thought it was pretty cool. With Brock I think he has finally realized that there is a baby in my tummy. I think setting up everything for the baby and all the new little clothes around helped him realize. I am always worried about the youngest child when the new baby comes. He has been my baby these last 3 years. I think he will do fine though, I just need to continue to give him that love and cuddles as much as I can when she comes. I love my Brocky!

We had the opportunity to have Ashton baptized up in Canada. It was so wonderful to be able to share that day with our family up there and I know meant so much to Ashton as he loves his family. He was baptized July 1st, Canada day! Here are some pics of our stay up there, it was a short visit but we enjoyed every moment there!

Seven Peaks - Summer 2010

Seven Peaks was a huge hit this last summer; the kids loved it! Hallie couldn't stop talking about "the orange slide", it was her favorite. The boys loved the waves and the lazy man river. My favorite part, if I was lucky, was Brock would take his afternoon nap in the beach tent and I could lay near by in the sun!

Payson Lakes Camping Trip 2010

We went camping at Payson Lakes with my brother and his family. We were lucky to get a camping spot there, but because there was a bear scare there were some spots open. A little bear can't scare us away! We had a great time, it was so beautiful! Definitely something we hope to keep it up every year!





One thing I didn't factor in with the whole camping experience was how dirty the kids ended up. I guess a little dirt never hurt anyone, but I am so glad we had that lake near by!

Ashton 6th Birthday!

Well I have a lot to catch up on. We still have yet to recover all our pictures from when our computer crashed. But thanks to Facebook, I was able to get a bunch of pictures from off there. For Ashton's birthday party we did a Mario theme. Both Ashton and Brody are a huge fans of the Mario brothers. They often ask for Mario and Luigi stories before bed and both pick a character they want to be in the story. The party went great and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun!







One of the games we played was, "Mario saves Peach". Taylor was such a good sport and dressed up as Bowser and chased around all the kids. What a good dad! We also played pin the mustache on Mario.

A Running Perspective

Well I haven't posted anything for some time, but I do have a good excuse. Our computer crashed and we have all our pictures on an external hard drive, we just have to figure out how to put them back on the computer. So hopefully soon I will be able to catch up and post some pictures of Ashtons birthday and the rest of our summer.
So, since we moved down here I have picked up running. Before we came here I would run here and there and no longer then for thirty minutes. I love running! I love running with and getting to know wonderful women. Sometimes you run for two hours or more, so there is plenty of time to really get to know and love those you run with. I also love the scenery; the mountains,running down the canyon,and watching the sun rise, it is always so beautiful!! There are also those days when your run alone and you receive inspiration and answers to prayers. I'm so grateful for those quiet moments when Heavenly Father has taught me, those moments are very special and sacred to me. Well, today I went running with my friend and it was a very painful run. Anyone who runs knows about those days where you feel so weighed down and stiff and 5 miles seem like 20. When I got home I thought about that and how it related to life, my life. In running you train and build up your endurance, but even the most prepared and trained runners still have those days. I try so hard to do my best and be prepared spiritually, emotionally and physically and often I fall short. No matter how much preparation I have, I still have those days and those trials that really weigh me down. And yet, I am so grateful for those days, where I have to completely rely on the Savior and his atonement. I love the scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. It says,"...most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ's sake:for when I am weak, then I am strong." In those trials where I have felt great pain and sorrow are also the times where I have felt the great power of the Saviors atonement and his great love. So I glory in my trials, I glory in my Savior and I am so grateful I have those experiences that I may know Him and His love for me. I love that I can submit my life to Him and His gospel knowing and trusting "that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7)


My first half marathon, I loved it!!! I'm so excited to do a full next summer.

Two of the wonderful ladies I run with!