Things I've Noticed this week...

There are a few things I have noticed about life as well as living here in Mesa. First, even though it gets really hot here, it is really pretty here. We have lived in Phoenix before, but where we are in Mesa (North East corner) is really pretty. There is so much wildlife around us. There are birds everywhere...quail that run around the neighborhood as well as other birds. There are geckos everywhere, too! Here is a picture of Dallen after church today, catching six while he was trying to obey and change out of his church clothes! The kids found a "blind snake" in the pool today (that was exciting). It was really little and almost looks like an earthworm, but squirms a little faster :). This is a boys playground! It has been good for our boys.

I have noticed that we REALLY like having a pool again. Even the dogs like it. Today, Shep was throwing his ball into the pool, jumping in to get it, just to do it all over again. Now, that was funny to watch. Poor dog has to play catch with himself because no one will go out there to play with him ;) The boys are constantly in it and play so well with each other while they are out there.

I have noticed that I miss having a calling. I realized today that one thing I miss about having a church calling is that when you have a calling you are asked to think of others and about Christ a little more than if you don't have a calling. I miss that connection with God and others. I have been working hard to learn people's names!
I have noticed that this new ward already feels like home because SO many people look like people we already know. Today, we were waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start and Dallen leans over and said "Mom, that looks like Brother Webster from our old ward". Sure enough, it does and then we learn his real name (it's not Brother Webster) and people are easier to remember because we feel like we already know them. Our Bishop reminds us of Bishop Seamons and Ashton's Scout leader looks like a more outgoing John Stucki! Our Gospel Doctrine teacher looks and talks like our Dentist and even has the same first name and who also is a Dentist! It's just been crazy. Then today, I learned that I know someone in our ward that I literally haven't seen for 20 years! We met her husband and really liked him (he brought us homemade salsa that he made...YUM!) and then we were looking on the ward directory and saw that his wife's name was Thelissa. I said, that's funny, I knew a Thelissa my Freshman year at BYU. I said, "wouldn't that be funny if that was the same Thelissa?". After the meeting I went to check it out, and sure enough it was the same Thelissa!!! She was roommates with my cousin, Kim and she and Kim and Emmaline seriously saved my sanity because I had been struggling at BYU and the second semester they let me follow them around and be with them. I really loved being around all of them. Anyway, here we are again 20 years later!
I have also noticed that it is not a coinsidence that we had to move here at the end of May. Last Sunday, we were told that Alec and Calvin could go on the Pioneer Trek that this Stake was having this last week and we looked at Alec and Calvin and they said "no!" and we said "yes"...so they were good and only complained a little and went on this trek in a brand new stake and knew no one except for the few people they had met last Sunday. We geared them up as best we could and sent them on their way. Friday night, Calvin was sent home because he had become so dehydrated that he was throwing up really bad and they had to give him an I.V. and it still wasn't helping. I was worried that he was having a bad experience, but when he came home, he could't say enough good about the whole thing, and believe me, Calvin would complain if it wasn't good! He said it was way more spiritual than the trek that we did in Wyoming and that it was so hard. They literally would pull their carts and then camp for the night in a bed roll under the stars. Calvin said it was amazing to see all the stars like that. Then he said that they had experiences where the men were taken away for the military and actually given training to be in the military. Then they were raided by Indians, they had "Angels" help them (people dressed in white), they had to bury their babies along the way, and then saw them later dressed in white as if they had passed on. Then Alec came home the next day and expressed the same observation of the Trek. Alec made a comment...he said, "yeah, in Utah everyone acted like, well, like me, and here they all have testimonies and share their testimony". I thought that was really interesting. We laughed that he realized he acted different, but for him to notice that it was the norm there to act that way and it wasn't the norm here really impressed me and made me thankful that they were able to have that opportunity. They got to know kids and I am glad they will know someone when they start school this next year.

I have noticed that even though we really miss our friends and comfortable life in St. George, we have already grown spiritually in more ways in the 10 days that we have been here than we could have in the 10 days we would have been in St. George. We have all been stretched and tried and continue to learn more about ourselves and our relationship to our Heavenly Father every day.

Scott has worked one whole week, now, and I find his stories of his experiences to be interesting. I think the most interesting things I find is that something will happen at work and the Scott comes home and tells me that he never realized that he would have to be doing these things. It makes me laugh because you would think that if someone picks a profession, they at least know a little bit about what they would have to be doing or come in contact with, but most of it never occured to Scott and when the interesting parts of the job come up, he is almost taken back and it makes me laugh. He is still okay with it all and every day is different, which is really good for him. School is going good and we are just grateful for how it has all worked out.

Anyway, last but not least, I have noticed that Ashton makes the best brownies...which I am going to enjoy right now :). Recipe is on the side bar :)

We made it...

Wow! What an adventure we are having. Some good days and some bad. Half of us are doing okay with the move and the other half are still struggling (me included). Well, we would first like to thank, with a big THANK YOU, to all of our friends in St. George who helped us get to where we are. I keep reflecting on the past six years that we lived there and I am so grateful that we lived there and were able to rub shoulders with so many wonderful people. You are truly missed, but we know that it isn't the last time we will see or talk to you...you're our friends for goodness sake! Where to begin?!?...

We, over the month of May, slowly packed up our house, room by room. It was nice because EVERYTHING that we touched had a place to go...either the trash, to Deseret Industries, or with us. So, we are officially de-junked. Although, there are a couple things, since we have moved in, that we found we didn't need and so they will soon be finding another home, too :). Last we did our last Family Home Evening together, well, sort of...Alec and Derrek had a yearbook signing party that they wanted to go to and so they met up with us a little bit later. We went to a trampoline place called Antigravity, in St. George. It was really fun. Here is a picture that we took to document that...
School got out for the boys and so we were finishing up all that. It was just a crazy week. Then, we were down to less than a week until we were leaving and Alec still hadn't finished Drivers ED! I was kind of freaking out and I am sure I drove the teachers nuts. So, I called the teacher, emailed him and finally, Thursday he got back with me and Alec drove on Friday and got the paper...whew (so I thought!). Well, the DMV is closed on Friday and Monday was Memorial Day and so we literally would have to take Alec out to the DMV to get his license the morning we were heading to Mesa so that he could drive one of our cars down so we wouldn't have to tow it. It was crazy. Not to mention, that somehow on Saturday, I accidentally packed the paper we needed for him to take to the DMV and I had to contact the teacher again and beg him to get us another one. So, on Memorial Day at 8 pm, I was up at the high school getting the paper Alec needed so that he could get his license and drive down to Phoenix. Anyway, that was on top of all the packing and finalizing things with moving!
Finally, last week (last Saturday), we finished packing everything in the house, except the things we needed. Sunday came and we had our last supper together (Lasagna always brings them home :). I had to take a picture to document the occasion. It's not a very good picture, but it will do. Jenette, and her husband, Craig were down visiting/helping us with our packing up (mostly they entertained the kids while Scott and I worked, which was a HUGE help). Then Monday, we loaded up the truck, but before we did, the boys put out flags for Memorial Day (their last time doing it) and then a kind family (Cory and Scoop) fed us breakfast...my kids were so happy and said it was better than Ihop! It was so good...we had pancakes, fresh fruit, juice, milk, bacon, whip cream...the works! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Then, Cory was so nice and gave Dallen a haircut (much needed!). So, we were a little late to our own loading the truck party. By the time we got there (Scott was already there because he had to go get the truck), most of the stuff was already out of the house and in the truck or on the front lawn. It did not look like everything was going to fit. Then we started throwing things in the van...thank goodness we had a 12 passenger van/bus. It was literally pack and the only things we had to leave behind was our fridge and our lawn mower...both we really didn't need here because there was already a fridge and we don't have to do yard work (part of our rental agreement!). Then we had a fun pool party at my parents house and they made us dinner.
This is Dallen with cousins, Cade and Riley.

This is a picture of some of the cousins playing "Colored Shark" in the pool.
Calvin with his two best friends, Steven and Alex who came to swim, too.
We ended up spending the night at my parents because we had decided to pack our beds too. Then, we all drove over to the house on Tuesday morning (this last Tuesday) and Scott dropped us off and took Alec to get his license. I was again freaking out because someone had taken the folder I had left out that had his birth certificate and all that and packed it. It was buried in the truck and it would have been horrible trying to get it out, but luckily, they had it all on file from when he got his permit and all they needed was his SS#, which I had in my wallet...whew! So, they came back and Derrek came over to say good-bye. Seriously, I think it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to leave my child behind, especially when he is struggling with us being gone. It was his decision, though, and deep down I know it was the right one for him...it will just be hard and in a way, that is good too...we learn the most about ourselves in trials (I'm finding out a lot about myself right now :). So, we are finally on our way to Mesa. Scott was in the truck with Dallen and Ashton. Alec and Calvin drove in the small car with the two dogs. I was behind in the van with all the stuff that couldn't fit in the truck. It took us about 8 hours. We stopped twice. Once for gas and the other for gas and food (even though we only had an hour left...I was cranky and needed food! and it wasn't even good food...it was Jack in the Box!). The only mishap we had was in our stop in Vegas, Scott was pulling in to the gas station and had to pull around. Well, as he was pulling around, the tail end of the Uhaul clipped the front end of a car that was parked. It was a Mitsubishi Eclipse! He said he didn't even know he hit anything until he looked in his mirror and saw plastic flying in the air! Anyway, the Lady at the gas station said that the car had been parked there for over a week, so we had to leave our information and hopefully the person's car will get fixed...that's what insurance is for, right?!? So, we get to Mesa. Alec did really well driving. There were a couple scares where I had to call him and tell him to check his mirrors because he didn't look before he would move into the lane! Poor Calvin was about to have a heart attack a couple of times. Then we get here and it then occurs to me that I had totally forgotten to put Alec on our car insurance before I left! Whoops! All I have to say is that we had angels watching over us! Scott's sister, brother, and dad were here to help us unload and it didn't take too long. Scott's sister, Heidi, is superwoman...she practically had my whole kitchen put together the first night! She then came down the next day and helped put the rest together. By Thursday, the house was pretty much done and I collapsed. We didn't do much on Thursday. Friday we have pictures hung and it is a livable house. We just need to work on the garage and then we are set. We have a lot of boxes to get rid of :).

We have been adjusting slowly. Alec and Dallen are in heaven, though. We are just a mile or two from the Salt River and so Dallen and Alec have already gone fishing two or three times. Here is a picture of them in their fishing tubes floating down the river (for 4 hours! and they are the two dots in the middle of the water!) and a picture of Alec carrying his up. They have been having fun. Calvin is doing pretty good. I think it is hardest for him. He misses his friends. Ashton has always just gone with the flow and so for the most part he is doing good. We enjoyed church today. That is one of the best things about our Church...no matter where you go in the world, you are in a ward boundary and the same lessons are taught, same songs are sung, the only difference is the people that surround you, but I have come to believe that even they are the same...just look different! The ward was VERY friendly and there are lots of youth for the boys to get to know. It will be good for them. Alec and Calvin are jumping in (more like being pushed into) going on the Stake Trek here. It is this Thursday. They aren't too happy about it, but they realized that there is really nothing else for them to do, so why not? They keep trying to tell me that they are going to the Scout camps and stuff in St. George, but to be honest, I don't know how I would get them there. So, this will have to do until then. I will let you know how it goes for them next week...The dogs and kids like the pool. I think Angel like it especially. She is funny because when she paddles, she splashes, and then she tries to bite her splash. I need to record it because it's funny. Shep isn't as fond of the water, but once the kids pull him in, he likes to be there for a little while. We are just grateful we got here and are ready to start this new adventure (on most days ;). Scott started school already and starts work tomorrow. Hopefully that will all go well.

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. We miss St. George more than ever, but we know that this is where we are supposed to be right now in this time in our lives...(darn-it!).

A Fun Week...

Well, we started off the week with "caving" for Family Home Evening. The boys had been wanting to do it SUPER bad and so Scott was a brave dad and decided we should do it as a family. He was brave in the fact that he was super exhausted from the day at school and other responsibilities and still mustered up the energy to go hiking and caving. I, on the other hand, only had energy to go hiking, not caving. It was a fun little hike to the cave and so we were just walking/hiking and then all of a sudden there was this big hole in the ground. The boys do this often with their friends. They buy some glow sticks and cut the end of the glow stick and then splatter the glow stick material all over them and the cave and then play hide and seek. The glow stuff helps you to see while in the cave, but then by having it on your clothes you can blend into the stuff that is on the cave wall and play hide and seek. So, that is what they did. Here is a picture of them as they are climbing into the cave. They actually hiked further into the cave where there was a big cavern to play in.

Alec and Calvin are the ones with the head-lamps on. Jose is in the white shirt and Ashton is standing next to him. Dallen, Scott, and Derrek are up top. This is Alec climbing back out of the hole! So graceful :). While they played, I enjoyed the quiet all around me. Enjoying the breeze and birds chirping and then also played my phone :). It was a really fun evening. Then of course we had to hit McDonalds for some ice cream cones (actually it was 99 cent Big Mac night and so a couple of the kids got those...YUCK!).Then on Wednesday, I got the family ready for me to be gone for the rest of the week. I got to go to BYU Women's Conference. Seriously, every year it continues to be an amazing experience. I just really enjoy going and being re-energized about life and family and all that comes with being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is amazing. For the past few years I have been trying to tell Scott about all the women that come from all over the place and finally, this year, I was able to take a picture to show him...

That's a picture of the opening session of Women's Conference. These are the FUN people I went with. It is different every year, who I get to go with, but like I said, every year is amazing. In the picture from left to right is me (of course), Laurel Johnson (Kathie's friend), Megan Beecher (my next door neighbor/friend), Heidi Wilson (Scott's sister/my friend), and Kathie Bennion (Scott's sister/my friend). This is outside the Marriot Center at BYU. Can you believe the next day is snowed on us?!? It was so cold! But we were well taken care of with our mint brownies and creamery ice cream and cinnamon bears! Scott is seriously the BEST husband ever because I never worried about the kids or anything that was going on (he had to deal with a report about Oklahoma with a reluctant 5th grader, two campouts for Scouts and a day hike, not to mention getting up super early on Saturday to get my Bountiful Basket stuff!). I really appreciate having him pick up the slack when I leave town and that he allows me to go with no guilt! It's awesome. Anyway, I love being a member of the Relief Society because we are seriously a force to be reckoned with as far as service and getting things done! For two days straight there are service opportunities as well as classes and then for three hours on Thursday night we go and do service. Here are some pictures of some of the service we did...

Heidi and I sewed backpacks, for kids that need them, during one of the classes that was being broadcast into that room so that we could listen and serve at the same time! Then that evening Megan and I worked on decorating journals for those in juvenial detentions and also for the elderly, and then we helped (with Heidi) make baby hats for countries that need those (they were trying to make 8,000 that evening...we made a pretty good dent...all these tables were full, this is us just before they shut down.). Kathie and Laurel were making wands and crowns for little girls. I am not sure what organization they donate them to, but it will sure make some little girls happy!We had a great time. I am seriously amazed at all the preparation that goes into this conference. All the pieces that are traced and cut out for all the service projects (there were tons more going on...these are just the ones we were helping with!). 16,000 women working on something gets things done! It's really an honor to be a part of such an organization. We also went to the sharing stations. They don't have the info posted yet on their web-site, but they have years past and soon will have this year's up...so go check it out!

One last thing...we found out we have to be out at the end of this month. So, instead of moving at the end of June, we will now be heading to Mesa at the end of May. The boys are doing okay with it. Dallen cried today and I have shed my tears. I found myself crying more for the fact that I am grateful for how things are lining up. Scott has actually been feeling for the past couple weeks that we need to move at the end of May and I would come back with some reason why there was no hurry, and then we get the notice from the bank (who really have been so amazing through this whole process), and just grateful for the "preparation" that we have had in the sense that it had already been on our minds. We feel very taken care of by the Lord. Really, there is no other explanation for all that has happened, even with having to lose our house. So, we will be saying our goodbyes this month to all our friends and family in St. George and look forward to being with our family and make new friends in Mesa. Life goes on...