Texas Trip

Okay, so earlier today while I was updating our blog, I totally freaked out because I thought I had deleted all our photos from our trip to Texas. But, they have been found.

We stopped to visit with Scott and Julie's family. Kenton asked me the other day if we could go see them again. I tried to explain that they live a long way from us. The boys had so much fun with their kids.











While in Texas, we stayed at Crystal Beach. At

the time we were there we experienced hurricane Dolly so, we didn't have much time on the beach. Gratfully, we missed hurricane Ike. the place we stayed is non-existant now. We had

fun visiting with Jed's family. Jed and I had a lot of fun body surfing on the waves. The boys prefered to play in the sand.

Our summer in a nutshell

Have you ever seen such beautiful boys?!




Jed is very proud of his iris collection. It is about the only plant the deer don't eat.








Jed's gift for receiving tenure - an organ. The boys love to play around as well. It is great but I have to say it looks a lot larger in my home than it did in our friends home.













A lazy day in the yard. Kids enjoy such simple pleasures.



















These are pictures at Shenandoah National Park. We had a fun camping trip but got rained out the last day and came home early. It was okay with me. I was worn out. As you can see in the last picture. Jed had us go on several 3 mile hikes every day. The boys did great and walked about 2 mile each day but they were too tired to hike back up to the ridge. It was beautiful but camping is lot of work. Jed ended up carrying the boys out as I kept reminding him that I was already carrying myself and a baby. He is a good sport.






























Kenton's first marshmellow roasting!









This is a picture of the Appalachian Trail. As exhausted as we were, we had to be able to say we hiked part of this famous trail.




















We visited Cooper's Rock with our friend Kathleen. They all love Kathleen and miss her now that she has moved to Utah for a great job opportunity. The last time we had Kathleen over for dinner before she left Kenton said, "Now we have two Mom's. A play mom and an instruction Mom." He then proceeded to tell me which mom I was but I reassured him I already knew which mom he thinks I am.

This is the family at Cooper's Rock. Don't you love the picture of me and Jed! This is us showing that we still love each other.






We went to visit our friends just out of town and took the kids on a hay ride. It is so peaceful there.
We are now busy preparing for the baby. I have her blessing dress complete and a girl quilt. I am trying to complete some Christmas gifts before the birth. It is hard to know if I will accomplish them after her arrival. We will load pictures of her within a few days after her birth.

It's a GIRL!!!

I am still in shock. I was sure it was a boy. I keep asking Jed if it is possible for someone to only have boy sperm and no girl sperm. He keeps trying to tell me that it is "x" sperm. Whatever! Anyway, the baby is healthy and there doesn't appear to be any concerns so that is great news! We are due around Thanksgiving so we have a lot to be grateful for this year.

It's finally Spring

We are grateful for the beautiful Springtime. We have enjoyed playing outside. We have had some interesting birds to watch. This year, we have even had Turkey Vultures visit our backyard. We decided we should look up their eating habits to make sure they didn't eat little boys. They are huge birds and we have enjoyed watching them soar.

We have included a picture of McKay's stitches. He fell, hit the wall and we rushed to urgent care. They were very kind to us but we really don't want to visit them anytime soon. Jed decided he would ban all "chasing" games but you can guess how long that lasted!

We celebrated the boys' birthdays. It was a fun two day celebration. Kenton is shown with his new bike. I now spend my afternoons walking up and down the road as he rides. We took the boys to the rail trail last weekend. Kenton was able to ride for a short distance on his bike. We all had a fun day playing together.








This is a picture of Kenton the day we played in the rain. We were desperate for some outdoor activity. It was warm enough to go splashing in puddles. Now, the boys ask me if they can go out and play in the rain all the time. Do you realize how much it rains here? What have I started?

We have started the huge project of painting our kitchen. It shares walls with the living room, hallway and family room so coordinating all these areas has turned out to be challenging. I am hoping we will be back to normal soon. I am grateful Jed is a willing working partner. I am sure he didn't realize what we had gotten ourselves into when we started. But, the kitchen is looking "warm and inviting" and that was the desired outcome.

We bought a new car! It is amazing but it happened. I tell people I got it for my birthday because I asked to test drive for my birthday gift. We really like the added space and hip room in the back seat. The trunk space is nice and it handles great in the snow. Now the we need to add another car seat, it is easier for us to justify our extravagance!

So, that is our life in a nut shell. We will try to update more frequently but now that Spring is here, we will be outside more so don't expect too much! No time for computers when you can enjoy the sunshine. Now, when it gets humid, I will be on the computer more. Until then....

We had a great time with Mom and Dad. We are so grateful they joined us for Christmas. The boys just loved having family here. Here is a picture of Dad placing Mom's original wedding ring on her finger. Dad had the center diamond replaced and the ring restored. It is very beautiful.

We have also included a picture of the boys and the gingerbread train we made together. We had a wonderful Christmas this year.

Merry Christmas!!

Here is a recap of our adventures in 2007. This summer we ventured on our first camping trip with kids. We had a great time. The boys loved it. We went to Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. It is absolutely beautiful. Kenton did great hiking the 2 miles up the mountain.

We had a great trip driving to Utah this past summer. The boys were wonderful in the car! What a huge blessing. Kenton still talks about Chimney Rock whenever he sees a rock formation. We visited several pioneer historic sites along the way. We pulled a handcart and experienced the hot, hot sun. The sky sure is blue out west. We find ourselves falling in love with the beauty every time we return. It was fun to spend time with both of our families. I always wish we had more time so I could visit with my friends.

McKay is 21 months old and more adorable than ever. He is now beginning to talk and can put two words together. It is fun to watch his personality blossom. Kenton and McKay love to play together. It is fun to hear them giggle. They both enjoy books and fight over the chance to sit on our lap while we read their book. The boys are now sharing a bedroom; it has been wonderful for their relationship. They have grown to depend on each other and are happy to be together. It is great they are friends.

Kenton is approaching 4 years old. He is a real talker. He is constantly telling us it is his turn to talk. Kenton loves art and often asks if he can work on a project. He loves to help Jed in the yard raking leaves, picking up sticks, and pulling out mushrooms. He has his own wheelbarrow to deliver yard waste to the ravine.

A few days after Lynette’s release from the Stake Primary, our Bishop visited us in our home to extend new callings. We were both apprehensive to accept our callings but he refused to leave until we accepted. Jed was released as Young Men’s President and called as Gospel Doctrine teacher. Every week someone expresses what a great job he does. Lynette is now the Young Women’s President. Lynette has fallen in love with the Young Women and is very grateful for the opportunity to serve even though life is crazy busy now.
Our hearts are full of gratitude as we reflect on our experiences and blessings this past year. Our family has enjoyed numerous activities together that have drawn us close. God is definitely watching over us and we feel His directing hand in our lives. We hope your year has been memorable. Merry Christmas!