Is it too late?

Is it too late to actually start up my blog again? It's been years since I have posted and with too much to catch up on I'll do just a little update and leave the rest for just my own memories.

Hannah is now 12 years old.  Did I say 12? Yes, she started Young Women's and is now in the 7th grade.  She really is such a delightful girl, so full of life! She loves her friends so much, is getting straight A's and I'm just so proud of her.  Although with this 12 year old age does come attitude and hormones raging.

Zach is 10 years old now, in the 5th grade and is just my little computer.  He continues to read non-fiction like it's going out of style, can tell me facts about WWII that most scholars probably don't know and is a walking encyclopedia.  He is such a sweetheart and I can't believe next year he will be starting mid school. (scary for me because he's so small)

Jake is 7 years old, and his life revolves around his best friend.  Who just coincidentaly is his big brother.  Right now he looks up to Zach in everything he does and pretty much does everything Zach does even if maybe he doesn't like it.  He is my little prankster, he laughs at his own jokes (just like mom) and is doing well at school.












Ella is 5 and started Kindergarten. My baby is now in Kindergarten and as sad as I THOUGHT I was going to be, it's been amazing.  She just switched classes and is doing so well.  She ABSOLUTELY LOVES Elsa (which 5 year old doesn't?) and is a little spunky girl. She has such a sense of humor and she is trying to find  herself out of the baby of the family to being a big girl. 












 Jon is doing great here in good ole Alb.  He is enjoying his job and is extremely busy. I keep waiting for it to slow down and it hasn't, which is good.   When he is not working he is working with the Young Men. 

As for me I am doing really well.  I had a little mid-life where the heck do I fit in now when Ella started Kindergarten.  I was going to be a stay at home mom without kids at home.  It was hard to digest and I felt a little off because I felt it defined me for so long.  Well come to find out, it has been amazing.  I have been able to have some time for myself, which has been really nice.  Not to mention I volunteer at the kids school and some days I find I STILL don't have enough time in the day for the things that need to get done.  And of course, I am in Young Women's! Love it!

Camping with our family

Teach them young...they still have to do dishes!

Camping, camping, camping.  We love to camp! It's fun and relaxing and a way to get out of town.  This year we didn't get a ton of camping in but we were able to go with our little family.  How can these kids get so dirty within 5 minutes of getting out of the car? 

July 2012 Beaners!

Do you know what I love about the Beans? We can go anywhere and do nothing and still have fun.  We gain atleast 10 lbs a trip but it is worth it! I miss my Ash, Duey and Mae Mae!

 Gotta love this face.  If you know this boy, you k now him to be a little emotional...he's 5.  Enough said.

My babe and me! I Love this guy!

All our kiddos!

My beautiful friend and beautiful daughter!

Jon is not Jon without his soda.

My girl and me!

Forgotten Girl's Trip

First Cafe Rio! It was AWESOME!

Since it has been almost a year since I should have posted this, I figured I would give it a shout out and a few pictures.  It also doesn't hurt that the big event of "Breaking Dawn" is coming in a few weeks so I need to post it just to prove that yes I am still a teenager at heart.  My friend Candace and I met in SLC for a Girl's Weekend full of vampires, vampire parties and Breaking Dawn.  Now, don't laugh too hard, it's true.  We went to a premiere party that included an array of all things Breaking Dawn.  Contests, clues, samplers of the wedding cake, of course LOTS to buy, and just all things Corny.  WE LOVED IT!  We got massages, manicures, went shopping, ATE WAY TOOOO Much food and then before we knew it, it was time to go home.  Enjoy!

Girls Camp 2012

Another year down! This year's Girls Camp theme was "On the Road to Virtue".  We were to pick a car and come up with a theme to match. We were the Paradise "Heals" on Wheels and drove an ambulance.(We belong to the Paradise Hills ward).   I really didn't think we could have as much fun as last year BUT I WAS WRONG!! I was also very tired.  Note the pics that I took the day I got there and the days after, everybody who came to visit just told me how tired I looked.  And I was...but boy did we have fun.  We went rapelling, hiking, we climbed a rock wall, sang songs, danced, danced and danced and had a great time. I seriously do have the best girls and seriously the best ward a camp leader can ask for.

 Yes, this is me!

 Can I tell you how much I love this lady? This is my fearless Asst. Camp Director and I LOVE LOVE LOVE HER! I could not do this without her!

Lots of Games!

Family Pictures March 2012

 We finally got around to taking family pictures.  Poor Ella is finally included in our family!

New Year's Resolution in August

I really want to do better at blogging.  Since we have moved back to New Mexico the importance of blogging has been pushed on the back burner. I don't need to immediately update the blog with new pictures and outtings because my family wants to see the kids, even with my parents on a mission we skype with them every week so they rarely if never get on the blog anymore.  With all this said, I really want to have a little keepsake of our lives.  The kids can look back and one day say, "Look, mom and dad really did do things with us." I also still enjoy reading my friends' blogs because we don't live near each other anymore. 

Jon and I were talking the other day and reminsicing about the good ole days of med school and residency and it made me homesick.  Homesick for Iowa and Michigan, which of course hold such a dear place in my heart.  I know it is easier to remember the good times rather than the hard ones, basically the whole first year of residency where I just had baby number 3 and cried the entire year because Jake cried and Jon was never home. But, I still look back with fond memories.  I miss the friends we made, the friends we haven't kept in contact with, and the friends we still get to see and hang out with, even if it is only a few times a year.  It was just the time in our life that we can't repeat and it's a little sad.  Of course, I LOVE living here. I LOVE being back in New Mexico and being near family and my friends here are amazing.  It's just a little sad that we can't relive some of the good times either, which I know sounds silly and of course ridiculous but sometimes I miss it.

Just a quick update before I try to update this entire blog with new entries of what's been going on.  We are doing well here.  Hannah started 5th grade and loves her new teacher.  I can't believe she is almost in mid school! She has become such a responsible young lady this year, and tries to be mom to her younger siblings.  She is so excited to start babysitting.  Zach started 3rd grade this year.  He still is enthralled with all things Titanic and Warthogs and F-16's.  He really wants to either be an astronaut or he wants to be a pilot.  He is constantly wanting to learn things and LOVES documentaries..(not my kid I tell you). Jake started Kindergarten and is still so sweet. His new teacher seems really nice, a big ole' Grandpa. Jake follows Zach around wanting to do everything and anything that his big brother does. They are little buddies.  Ella will start preschool only a few times a week, she turns 3 in a week.  My baby is 3!!! Where did the time go. She is a fireball with the most beautiful eyes and sweetest smile, just be careful if you get too close and your not mom and dad.  You will get her evil eye and probably some sort of spit or a scream saying, "Not the mama".  We love her so much and is missing her big siblings when they are in school. 
Jon is doing really well at work.  He's pretty  busy, but still finds plenty of time for us.  He is busy at callings at church and being a dad while I am off galavanting at times.  As for me, I am doing great.  Church, home, kids, life keeps me really busy! I am working with the Young Women's program and of course loving it! I was also the camp director this year, which was amazing.  I LOVE working with the youth, maybe because it brings out my young side (like I have a problem with this).  Well, here's to updating this blog and getting it up to date!