Brooks is 3!!!

 Happy 3rd birthday Brooks. We love what you bring to our family.

  

She love sleep overs in the living room.

Loves her big sister and the temple.

 She loves the outdoors. Last night she said she wanted her birthday wish to be that her daddy's back would be all better so he could do fun things with us again. We hope this trial goes by fast, and we can return to our normal activities again.

She is so creative and loves to line things up and make and figure things out!

Thank you for being the missing puzzle piece in our lives! We don't know what we would do with out you. Thank you for being you.

Our wonderful weekend getaways....

Phil's parents are serving a mission for the Vernal Cattle Ranch for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, raising the cows that become the beef for the cannery. They live in an old farm house with 5,000 acres and roughly 400 head of cattle to raise and fatten up!
We make it a point to go out there at least once a month for the weekend. It has been a magical experience for all of us. Boston is a TRUE cowgirl and LOVES every second of it. Brooks, is her little follower and together they have a blast!

Here is Brooks in her homemade redneck movie box seat for quiet time!

Boston and I eating our traditional popcorn during quiet time and watching a movie.

Grandpa made a swing for these 2 sweeties. The big red barn is right behind them and many hours are spent in there also. Feeding time is Boston's favorite chore and to spot the owls that live there is so fun!

These two angels are so sweet and play so hard they fall right to sleep and next to each other.

Wrapped up in Phil's jacket while waiting patiently for Papa to dig the holes for their new teeter tauter.

Papa makes this place come alive and they 3 of them go everywhere together!

Boston leading Lady while she takes Brooks for a ride. We usually hook the trailer up and go for a ride, haven't gotten a picture of that one yet.

They had a pond that froze one time we were out there. They are quite the good little skaters! We got their ice skates at a yard sale for a dollar!

We love all the family time we have gotten to spend together out in Vernon. We will dearly miss it when their mission is up in December, but plan to continue to milk it for all it's worth until it's gone. Boston and Brooks dug up a cow skull the last time we were out there, didn't have or camera on us then. Boston also has burned her fuzzy blanket on the fire, it was her idea. She's growing up so fast! We love what this place has done for our little family. Thank Mom and Dad for serving the Lord.

Heber Valley North Pole Express

So for the 1st time since I've had kids, 4 years. I had a real paying job for the holiday season. I was blessed enough to have Phil home and the help of Leah to make it work. I worked 30 days out of the 40 holiday days! It was awesome. I was Reader for the train. Basically entertained a whole train full of parents and kids who came to see Santa at the North Pole. It reminded me a lot of my days as a flight attendant. I wore my chain mail the last week, I should have worn it the whole time with my Jester hat-courtesy of Leah. It was fun to be part of a great Christmas tradition of so many people! Let me know if your in town next year and I'll get you some tickets!

I'm Thankful

Well if you notice this picture has green in it. We are no longer in AZ. We had the opportunity to move to Midway, Utah. Seriously the greatest place on earth. We have finally found our home. We are praying this is where the Lord will let us stay. Phil graduated in August with his BA in English from ASU, with a 4.3 GPA. Completing it in 14 months, 1st of his 12 siblings to do so. He was having no luck finding a job, then was hired on by School Web Masters, an online web design for schools. He could work from any computer, so my parents were coming back from their 28 month mission and wanted their home back-which they deserve. Bryce and Leah offered their top floor to us. So we now live in a little piece of heaven with 8 kids and 4 adults and 2 dogs and a barn full of chickens. It is way crazy, but so much fun. We eat together every meal and I don't have to do dishes, so it works great!
We were directed to the Seminary route, Phil has been taking a pre-service training course for it. Followed by a 10 day student teaching and if picked will proceed to a 1 year student teaching job, paid thank goodness, then selected to be hired on by the church from there. We find out about the one year position, 20 students, 9 spots to fill a week before Christmas. We have had many miracles and know this is what we should be doing right now and are excited for the out come.
Phil's back is getting better, the VA has finally figured out his hips are causing the problem. A few more tests and we should find out for sure what is going on. Thank goodness.

I have started getting together a group of our missionary gals once a month to have lunch at each others home once a month. That has been a great joy and blessing to be surrounded by great women. I play most the day with the girls as we work out our differences and am enjoying the lessons being taught.
Our ward is great. The people are amazing and we have so much to learn and do while we are here.
The girls are great. Brooks is potty trained through the night, finally no more accidents during the day, yeah! She eats and eats and plays and plays. She is such a joy.
Boston is learning tons and is working through her social skills with tons of cousins! She's a smart as a whip and loves to play tough. They are so beautiful and we love them will all our hearts.

Life in Midway is great. Lots to look forward too and tons to learn.

VA trip to San Diego

Phil had to go to San Diego to see the back surgeon, to make a long story short it was a waste of deodorant. We had 2 yard sales to pay for the trip and sold just about everything we owned. To find out that there was nothing they could do, we needed updated MRI's which we tried to get done before; but that did not happen because of the screwed up system they have. THANK YOU SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!!!
On a happier note, we went to a yummy Indian restaurant for his b-day dinner and tried to have fun the rest of the time we were there.

The girls and I made him breakfast in bed...a family tradition for birthdays.

The girls got bored in the hospital waiting so they played horsey on Phil's cane, very entertaining for everyone in the waiting room.

Brooks chilling at the beach, eating her snacks.

Poor kid fell in the hole Phil and Boston dug for the sand castle.

The two master minds behind it all.

Family picture at the park.

Phil is a great sport. He still wants to do everything a 32 year old dad should, but physically can't. The doc said he probably will have permanent nerve damage, because it took the VA so long to get him seen. There is nothing we can do except hope he'll get better someday and do the best we can with what we've got.

Nothing more to say about this bundle of joy-but we are so thankful for her.

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Thanks for reading and doing!
Have a great week.