2nd Missouri trip of the year!

Right after Mandy's funeral I hopped in my car and drove 1089 miles with my kids to Angela's house in Missouri for some serious girl time. Melissa had come down from Chicago to visit so I was looking forward to being with two of my very favorite people! Well worth the 16 hour drive, especially when you've got great kids like mine. They handled the drive so well. On the way out there I stopped in Sidney, Nebraska (the half way point) and stayed at the Motel 6 for a two hour night's sleep and I got to Angela's on Tuesday afternoon. We did so many fun things while we were there and I finally took pictures this trip! We stayed up late every night playing games and watching movies, my parents came over for a day and a half on their way back from Maine, shopping trips to Walmart and Jamesport, we did so many fun things! One night we put the kids to bed and had a night out by the fire. We had shish kabobs roasted over the fire and relaxed out there for a few hours. So fun!
This is Lincoln, Charlotta, and Isaak. They are all within 6 weeks in age and love playing together.

Sisters! I don't get to see her enough!

My niece, Melissa. We're only two and a half years apart, so I just call her my sis because she's as good as!

Melissa is superwoman. We went to the fabric store so we could make pajama pants for the kids and a few other fun things, like a handbag for Lila for Christmas. Anyway, Melissa got on a roll with the pants and ended up sewing ALL of them for the kids, they are so cute!

Isaak and Lincoln with their new Lightning Mcqueen pants!

Angela's house is so cool. She has 17 acres of land. She has a cow, guinea hens, chickens and cats. It's so great to be able to send your kids outside to play and not worry about where they are because there is nowhere to go! You have to walk a quarter mile before you get to the dirt road that leads to her house. She's got a trampoline, a tire swing, a frog pond, and endless places to explore. Here's Isaak checking out the guineas as they're eating....

Behind us you can see the storm shelter. There was a tornado watch while we were there, but YAY! We did NOT have to use it!

This go cart/ bike was a favorite of Isaak's..... and he loves his uncle Brady!

The baby guinea hens. Aren't they so cute?

And their cow, Salmon. Someday soon they will eat him. Seriously, my sis is superwoman, too. She can slaughter a cow and clean it in half an hour flat. She even killed a couple chickens when I came for our dinner.

One morning Brady watched all the kids so us girls could go to Jamesport and shop in the Amish shops. While we were there, Melissa found some cats for sale and brought this one home. She named him Mookie and he was so sweet.

One of the funnest things we did was a scavenger hunt for the kids. We left clues in ten different spots (including the 161 yr old graveyard down the road) and at the end they got a pumpkin to carve and some Halloween treats. Here they are putting together their first clue.

Miriam and Sam helping Isaak to the next clue by the frog pond.

One of the clues hanging on their "gallows"

Aren't they so cute! Tristan is only 8 months old and outweighs Lila by 4 lbs! Such a cute chubby baby, and so sweet!

Here's Brady carting the kids off to their next clue at the graveyard!

Here they are at the end collecting all their Halloween goodies.

Such a fun trip, the only downside was my kids getting the croup the last couple days we were there and Isaak having another Febrile seizure because of his fever. I did the drive home on Thurday and left at 2:15 am and got home at 6:45 pm. Longest drive ever. Poor Lila was so sick of being in the car. My kids are such troopers and we are so glad to be back home with Shaun, I sure had fun but I really missed him!

My bud

After years of struggling, my friend Mandy chose to leave this life Monday night. Mandy, we've been best buddies since you were adoped and the age of three and you moved into the house across from mine. Even though the past few years found us both so busy and not quite as close, I'll always cherish the memories we had. There are so many, my entire childhood was shared by you! I'm so thankful that your pain is over and that you are finally at peace. I can't wait to see you in a better place! Love you , bud.


Dec 10
I'm missing you so much tonight. There are so many memories we have together..... telling ghost stories in your shed, started clubs in our backyards and only we could be members of, pricking our fingers and becoming blood sisters, playing chase at the bus stop, sleepovers, night games, getting yelled at by the lawyer in that office building because you were singing at the top of your voice in their bathroom, making up dances in your basement, going swimming at the apartments all day long and getting in trouble because we were so late, doorbell ditching EVERY house on my street, going to Lagoon, going to dances together, you ditching me stuck in that seat belt in Hobit ville, going to Fort Bridger with your family and hanging out with Dan and Brandon, you ditching me with Mr Wierd in Fort Bridger!, going shopping for my Bridesmaid dresses together, you being my Maid of Honor at my wedding, us going out when you were mad at Derek, hanging out at your cabin, you introducing me to Shaun. You telling me all about meeting Bonnie and how you'd wished that I'd gone with you instead of Derek. Then things started changing. I wish they hadn't. I'm so glad that we got a little closer this year. I'm so glad that we went to Olive Garden and had some girl time, just us. You were so different, but our memories together still made us sisters. I remember that last time we went out. It was us and you and Shaun. We went to dinner and then came back to my house for a fire. It was like you weren't even there. Your light has been gone for so long. I miss your spark. I was so mad that you didn't call me to tell me you were married. I had to find out on facebook. You were my Maid of Honor and I don't even get a phone call? Sorry, I know that you've been really sick. I can't blame you for not doing all the things that normal friends do, because you've been out of it for about 7 years. I miss who you used to be and I'm glad that your pain is over. I love you Mandy, sisters forever.

Dinosaur spook alley

Last Saturday we went to the Dinosaur Park in Ogden for their spook alley! We tagged along with Alisa and her kids and I definitely recommend going! They have trick or treating, a costume contest, and lots of fun things to see! Thanks so much for inviting us, Alisa!

Cornbelly's

This last weekend we went to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point with our friends Justin and Jill. I think this is becoming an annual event, we went with them last year and it's always so fun! They have two sweet girls. Kate is a year older than Isaak, and he loves her. And Leah is just 12 hours younger than Lila. It will be fun to watch them become friends as they get older! Here's a few pictures of all that we found to do there!
Our future firefighters....

Kate's face paint is so cute, we tried to get a ghost for Isaak, but he did NOT want to do it!

Hop, hop

Tractor train

A moment we all stole in the shade. I think that was one of the last really hot days of the year!

A very BUMPY ride!

And here's some of my favorite pictures from the last couple weeks. Yes, poor Lila has a black eye. She stood up and fell in the bathtub, bonking her cute little face on the side of the tub. :(

Spooky mummies!

Sometimes I feel like I'm TOO blessed. I have the most fabulous family in the world. I have the perfect husband, beautiful kids..... I can honestly say there is NOTHING about my life that I would change! Thank you Shaun for being my Captain Awesome/Amazing. I love our life together! I'm so glad that my life hasn't turned out the way I sometimes planned, because it's BETTER!