Changes

Time has flown by way too fast! It's super crazy how things happen out of the blue and throw you trough some unexpected loops.

Here's the story...

The first big thing: We spent Labor day weekend with Becca and Matt. It was a fun relaxing time. But, Justin was having lots of pain the whole weekend. The next day after being home, doing some needed things at work, finishing school work etc... He calls to tell me he is driving himself to the ER. As I am processing it all trying to figure out how I would get up there with him taking our only car. Finally a little after 9pm he calls to tell me they are prepping him for surgery to have his appendix taken out. So I call my wonderful friend up the street to drive me to the hospital, who also volunteered to take the kids for me. As we got up there we had another friend show up with orders to take the kids also. So we divided the two older and younger to make school easier in the morning. I was so thankful for such trusted friends and their willingness to step in when we needed help at the spur of the moment. Surgery went great and I was able to stay in the room with him the first night. He was there another night and came home Thursday. Despite all of the horrible pain he was in and slow healing the tough part was to try to get him not to lift and do more than he should. Which was almost impossible. (if you know him you understand this).

Next: Two weeks after surgery he had a flight scheduled with work to go do his ropes course training in Utah. Wondering how this would work with him just having surgery, it was going to happen and he still made the trip and everything was good. This is where the fun begins... A few days after returning home, he sits me down to talk to me about something. His old job in Utah asked if he would like to come back to work with them because they had a position they needed filled that offered us better than what we were currently getting. So, after a few weeks or so of talking about it and putting together details and seeing if it was the best thing to do... We made the decision. This was not an easy decision for me. It was completely unexpected, the whole moving and repacking the entire house again after only 6 months was overwhelming. Starting the kids in a new school again. (Brandon has had 5 teachers from K-2ND so far. And he is going to have one more to add in January when his current one retires! Too much change for someone so little) Just all the fine details of moving itself, finding a new home. etc... But, in the end, it was going to work out.

Last: The Move: I did not have quite the time I wanted to do everything, especially see all of my friends and say goodbye before I left. (That was the hardest part) But, at I am happy I had seen most of them recently. My most wonderful sister came down and helped with the kids and took them to a hotel for a night to let Justin and I get the packing finished and start loading the truck. I am so thankful to her for her help and for the cousins to spend more time together before we are far apart. We always said we wanted to live close to each other. It was almost unreal when it actually happened. I am so glad we did have that time to let the kids really become best friends and all of us grow closer together. Of course it did make it so much harder to leave. The day before we left we had lots of people and great friends show up to help finish off heavy stuff for the truck and misc. items that needed to be packed and were given some awesome care packages for the road trip.

I am really going to miss the people in Missouri. It was hard moving out there because of the big change, but it was much harder to leave than I ever thought it would be. The people in the area were amazing! I can say I did come out a better person for being there than I might have anywhere else. I had some amazing opportunities and experiences I will never forget. I will really miss it.

So, here starts our new journey with life back in Utah....

Scenery

I love the Lakes beauty no matter how it is.

Fall colors overlooking the lake and valley...

Morning Fog as the sun comes up... Backyard

Down the street...

Back

Alyssa before getting the fire pit ready for s'mores.

Night of the most recent full moon

Happy Bday to Me

I told my children they didn't have to get me anything for my Birthday except for some really good smiles for some good pictures of three of my favorite people. Well..... It didn't start out too good.

"But Mom! This is boring!" "The grass is itching me." "I'm too tired."

"I just want to go now."

But, I still love these photos because it is how they really are.

They are cute when they make their grumpy faces.

And I love them.

Then you let them do what they want and you get...

"Take a picture of me Mom!"

Very much doing their own thing.

I love this and it makes me laugh because I took the picture and showed

Brandon his smile and asked about it and he said that is his smile.

It gave me a good laugh.

So, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind but I didn't have a whole lot to work with. I love my Presents. They are beautiful! Pictures of my wonderful kids make me happy.

We had a great walk to the neighborhood pond (by my sister's house) and fed the ducks and ran through leaves, and they even found a great climbing tree. (first pictures)

I was able to spend the weekend with my sister and be with her on her Birthday the day before. I made it home in the late afternoon to be with my sweetheart and he surprised me with some way yummy brownies with peanut butter chips in them. I love brownies! That is my kind of birthday cake.

I feel that Birthdays do not seam as big of a deal as you get older. But, I also feel that it is a good day to make some fun times and good memories. So we did. I had some great Birthday memories.

Happy Birthday to me. :)