Quick Trip

We decided to get out of Kingman for a few days and headed to Mesa to visit some family. It's a beautiful city--we can see why people enjoy living there (we think they have a few screws loose during the summer heat, but otherwise, we get it:) It is sooo much more green and colorful than Vegas was and with all the citrus trees where ever we went, it felt like a tropical oasis compared to Kingman. Thanks Reads and Ahlstroms for such a fun time!

Beautiful Mesa Temple--we took the boys Sunday morning & Jason kept asking where David & Summer were. He thought we were there for their wedding!


Riding kiddie four wheelers at the Ahlstrom's house. Jason was in HEAVEN!


Asleep at the hotel--it was a long night, even longer story...


Playing with Read cousins--the boys couldn't get enough!

Once there was a snowman...

Here we are in deserty Kingman, AZ where we never thought we would see another drop of precipitation again--as in, if it were possible to suck the last infintesimal signs of moisture from the dry, crackling air, that is exactly what should & would be happening. But suddenly, much to our dismay it poured buckets over the weekend--which to our delight--turned into snowing sheets for the last 2 days. Jason stared out the front window watching the huge flakes blanket the dusty world outside and no one could contain his excitement as the flakes got larger and thicker with each passing minute. Immediately nap time was forgotten, a mad dash was made to dig out winter clothes packed away in the garage, boys were bundled, shovels discovered and out the door we went. The boys played in, threw, laid in, rolled on, ate (yes, Ryan currently eats anything possible), and then got soaked by snow, snow, snow! We actually received over 4 inches in about 36 hours. People here are hunkering down like the end of the world is upon us (hell freezing over...?) and old people everywhere are ready to just pack it in and give up all together. After so many Idaho and Utah winters I am in my element and tend to forget why everyone is scrambling like mad crazy and driving with their E-Brake on! Regardless, it makes us feel truly at home and once again, Kingman has proved to be quite the delightful adventure!

Little Reminders...

Just when I find myself in the mood to leave my pjs on all day, eat cookie dough straight from the bowl, chase it down with thick, calorie-loaded chocolate milk, and never take my kids in public again, I receive a great little reminder of why I should reconsider my initial instincts. Thanks Melody for the timely post--you are always so inspiring.

"I have a testimony gained from pondering and studying the scriptures of a plan of happiness given to us by our Father in Heaven. That plan has a part for His daughters. We have the female half to take care of, and if we don't do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our Father's plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us. We can't delegate it. We can't pass it off to anyone. It's ours. We can refuse it, we can deny it, but it's still our part, and we're accountable for it. There will come a day when we will all remember what we knew before we were born. We will remember that we fought in a great conflict for this privilege. How do we meet this responsibility? We daily put our energies into the work that is uniquely ours to do." Julie B. Beck

Now if that doesn't make me feel guilty for slacking as a mommy, what will? And if it doesn't motivate me to have my every action benefit the eternal development of these unique, gifted souls with whom I have been blessed to spend lifetimes, nothing ever will! We are never "just" house wives, "just" moms, "just" women. We have divine potential to positively affect the eternities. God bless all you wonderful women in my life who inspire me to both personally and through my children, be more creative, spiritual, loving, patient, adventurous and just plain old survive! You'll never know how much I need you and learn from you. XOXO

Enya, the Sunday School Pres and sooo much more!

So I wrote out a whole long descriptive blog about our first few days here but the computer erased it and now I'm out of time....

1. Learned ALWAYS HIRE MOVERS--they were awesome, I didn't lift a thing!
2. Next time, triple/quadrouple check up on the utilities companies to make sure everything is set up when you arrive. (had no water or gas i.e. no water or heat source wahoo!)
3. Love, love, love our new house--amazing how a nice house makes your furnishings seem even better than before!
4. Went to church, listened to the organist play Enya for postlude music. That's right folks, Enya is officially church worthy in Kingman.
5. Lady bore her testimony wearing a long dark dress, bright purple Harry Potter socks and buckskin slippers. Long live Voldemort!
6. Heard the Sunday School teacher say "well, sorry this is last minute, guess that's what I get for sleeping with the Sunday School President" followed by uncomfortable laughter and then "at least we were married this time!" WOW
7. Heard an analogy about a devil and a duck--I'll have to explain that later?!!
8. Watched the STEELERS win the Super Bowl!
9. Listened to a sister tell about finding an incredible garage sale and that everything on her body--right down to the underoos--came from it. She gave directions, told everyone to bring cash, and that it was still open until 4 that afternoon (shopping encouraged in Relief Society on Sunday, but only at garage sales & with cash & only if it is a rockin' deal??)
10. So much more but I'm out of time. Welcome to Kingman everybody!