Summer

I don't know why I don't write so much anymore. Life has all kinds 

of surprises and then time just moves by without you really realizing

 it and then all of a sudden everyone is big (meaning my kids) and 

Tony will be home in February!

Tony and Elder Buck in Ulyanovsk

But life is great!
We are learning all kinds of things!

Lisa Falls up Little Cottonwood

Ian, Andy and Sophie having great conversations!

Lilly entertaining Cirkle at girls night.
We had so many dance parties that night.
It was awesome!

Cousins and friends at Girls Night.

Ian and Sophie playing dress up.

Hangin' with my girlies in Parowan.

 Hiking a trail in Brian Head With Lilly

Parowan 4th of July Parade. Dallin and the boy cousins from Tony's side.

Lilly and Ian with Kinzie and Brigham (cousins)

Sara and Chloe with Jolie (cousin)

Grocery Shopping with Sara and Dallin.

Elder Tippetts and Elder Fennemore

Dallin  at his last Band concert.

Tippetts and Lefavor Girls.

Chloe made fun of me for taking this selfie . 

Old cousins minus Sierra (dang it)! On our trip to Colorado
to visit the Backes ladies! So fun!

Only 7 More Months

This is an older picture of Elder Tippetts. He's not allowed to send pictures 

home right now from where he is. I sure miss that kid. Only 7 months to go.

He is an amazing person and has shown so much growth. I'm actually excited

to meet the new/still familiar Tony.  My mama heart gives out on me every time

a new missionary leaves his or her family, or when I get any kind of news from people 

in Tony's mission.  God speed his safe return. I'm so proud of the man he has become! 

Check 'em out!

I love children's literature. 

We search the library a few days a week with the kids.

Once in a while we will find a true keeper. 

Here are a few of my all time favorites. 

2 missionaries robbed in Russia

One of the missionaries being Tony's first companion 

and good friend in Ulyanovsk, Russia

Elder Owen

http://m.deseretnews.com/article/865596669/Mormon-missionaries-robbed-in-Russia.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%3Fref%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

We are so blessed that they are safe and watched over.

Things like this happen all over the world with missionaries.
Keep praying for their safety!

Books I actually finished in 2013

April-May: A Tree Grow's in Brooklyn
                  Joy in the Morning
                  Wonder
                  A Book of a Thousand Days
                  To Kill a Mocking Bird
                   American Girl Series: Caroline
June: Understood Betsy
         Out Of My Mind
July: For the Love of Learning
July: A Way Back To You (Emily Clawson)
Aug: A Light in Dark Places (Emily Clawson)
        Night
        Man's search for Meaning (Viktore E. Frankl)
October: Matilda (Roald Dahl)
November: Danny, The Champion of the World (Roald Dahl)  
                  Boy (Roal Dahl)
                  The Happiness Project (Gretchen Rubin)
                   The Love Book (Marvin Payne)
December:  BFG (Roald Dahl)
                  Walk Two Moons
                  The Blood Sugar Solution and Cookbook (Mark Hyman, MD)

New Years Day

On New Years Day we take our kids out to experience a new kind of

food and restaurant. It's really fun. We've gone to Chili's, The Pie(Pizza), 

Sam Hawk (Korean), Thai Delight (Thai), The Pearl (Chinese), and 

La Luna (Mexican). This year we decided to do Mexican again

at  this little shack:

Sometimes these small places have the best food!

We took up all the table space.:)

Everyone loved it and got to bring some home for dinner.

Later we went to Trafalga in Orem. 

We got the Pass of all Passes for Christmas 

and decided  to try them out. 

It was crowded, but fun. 

We will go back to do the Laser Tag which

we didn't get to do that day.

That night we watched E.T.

(my kids hadn't seen it before)

Ian and Dallin were sucked in. :)

Hello 2014

New Years Eve