We are off the see the....Mannings!

Do you see these faces?  Although Harv looks like Jack Nicholson right after he says, "Here's Johnny!" in the Shining, the emotion he is trying to portray is pure excitement and not that of a murderous nature.

We are off the see these wonderful human beings:

And although this is how we found Darrell most often (just kidding, D)

We left them feeling so sad, but so incredibly grateful for the gift of a true friend.  If I could bestow a gift to any of my loved ones it would be the gift of friendship.  I honestly feel that one of the greatest blessings in my life is this remarkable lady:

She loves me unconditionally, without judgment.  She buoys me up and strengthens me.  She is a better person than I and I strive to emulate her.  Often the question comes to mind, "What would Natasha do?" And likewise her hubby Darrell.  I love his positive influence on all of us and how his true nature unfolds as he is around Harvey.  Their friendship is that of a brotherly love.  I love the comfort we feel with one another, I can honestly say no one knows me better than these two.  I cherish these two people and love them dearly. 

"Everyone has a best friend through each stage of life, but only the lucky ones have the same friend in all stages of life."

The youngest

Seriously, this face!  

She is my baby...how often each one of my children have voiced that she is the favored.  I could internalize and consider that maybe my actions might portray such an opinion, but I am not going to.  

I am going to soak her in, breathe her in, and love each and every minute I have with her.  Why?  

Because I wasn't able to do it with the others.  Each time my children hit a certain age another baby came along that consumed my every moment.  And before I knew it that child had grown up on me.  

Yes, without my permission that child decided as my back was turned that they were going to grow and grow and grow. 

The most painful part is with that growth came change.  Lots and lots of change.  So I would commit that with the new baby I was going indulge in the moments I had and not allow them to grow as quickly as the older child.  

But then wham bam the stork would drop another parcel of sweetness at my door and my back would get turned.  My time would once again be consumed and the older child would once again take advantage and change before I had any say in the matter.  

So in comes the final child.  I have learnt my lesson, there is no small infant to jeopardize my time.  I will not let this child change behind my back however she is doing a good job at changing before my very eyes.  But I am watching, and I am appreciating.  So as my other children may feel she is the favored, I am a respecter of none.  I love each and every one of my children with all my heart.  Even if they do go changing on me.

Halloween 2014

Although Halloween is probably my most dreaded holiday...like I really hate this holiday.  I know that for my children it is an exciting time of year.  So I put one foot in front of the other, a smile on my face and endure through it until it is over.  I may seem like a grouch but honestly until you have seen what life is like with a diabetic kid and halloween you will never truly understand how awful halloween can really be.  I dread the high blood sugars, the sick tummy, the crazy emotions and to top it all off the sugar induced high the other children get on.  I decided this year was going to be different.  I traded the candy for a toy.  If I am ever going to survive Carson's halloween childhood I had to make something more appealing to him than candy.  And trust me that was difficult.  However, legos out performed this year and replaced the sugary poison.  I decided that all my kids would benefit from this trade, so off to walmart we headed and in the trash their candy went.  I do not feel I am over indulging my children if anything I am saving them from the crap they were about to inhale.  However, if there is anything positive that can be found at Halloween it is the cuteness that is my children.  I loved not only how adorable they were this year but the simplicity of each of their costumes.  So here are these cute little stinkers on Halloween 2014.

My Dorothy:

My Spider-girl (or in Emma's words Spida-gurl):

And my cute little Nerds (I told them Halloween was a time for them to not be themselves but they didn't listen!:):

The Fall

What is it about the Fall?  Why is this my favorite time of the year?  I know what the future holds; and although it is white it is also cold, wet and dreary...but the fall is anything but.  It is bright, colorful and comfortably warm.  It smells of cinnamon, baked goods, crisp apples and a fresh breeze.  It is family, holidays and love.  When I am experiencing fall I am engulfed in childhood memories.  I am adamant on making those memories come to life for my own children so that one day they will feel the warmth of those memories radiate from their own past.  So that when they are experiencing the cold and the dreary they can call upon the memories of what was once warm and bright.  This is why I love the Fall.  Live in this moment and cherish it; for the only negative that Fall holds is that it passes too quickly.

Zion Park and Zion Ponderosa/ Kanarraville

 Ever since Utah has achieved the status of the "Longest place we have ever lived," I have felt the itch.  Not necessarily to move again but for more adventure.  I feel constantly bored after a couple of months and get this urge to get away.  It is the curse of having lived and moved so often; 13 times in 16 years of marriage to be more exact.  And I don't necessarily attribute it to the many moves but to all the unique places.  Moving from city to city I think would have the opposite effect, one in which I would just want to stay immobile for awhile.  City to city is so tedious but having moved from country to country, state to state, culture to culture; life was fun and adventurous.  I have no desire to move my family of 7 from country to country again; for as adventurous as that was it was also hard and hard on the kids.  But the desire for adventure as now been placed within me and within my children.  So if it is adventure we seek Utah is the best place to live.  We have access to States we have yet to explore and even more amazing is this State provides us with so much diversity that you can't get tired of the scenery.  This last summer we hiked and explored the beauty of the Northern Mountains so for Fall Break we decided to take our cousins and explore the Southern Red Rocks.  We stayed at Zion Ponderosa.  It is a ranch just outside of Zion National Park.  It is loaded with family fun.  We ziplined, road ATV's, road horses, swam in the pool, played volleyball, swung like monkey's at the park, hiked around in the mountains and believe me when I say, it was so so good for the soul.  We also made our way into the National Park and went on the most beautiful hikes.  It was so enjoyable watching the children be children.  They made a commitment to free themselves of electric entertainment.  I loved watching them play and explore, get dirty and most important make memories.

On the way home we stopped off at what I dub as the highlight of the whole trip; Kanarraville Slot Canyon.  It was truly an adventure for the kids.  At first I got nothing but complaints about having to go another hike, but about a quarter of a mile into it the kids quickly changed their minds.  It was unbelievable.  Nestled in this tiny farm town in the mountains is a slot canyon.  It is the scenery of the Narrows but on a kid-friendly level.  I loved watching the kids feel as if they were on one of the greatest adventures of their lives.  It was the most rewarding thing about this whole trip; giving the gift of this hike to my kids.  God's artistry at its best.  And when Tanner was asked if he could choose Disneyland over Zion's he stated if we were to do this hike again he would choose Zion's.  And that my friends made me feel success like no other I have had before!  Ha!

I just can't get enough...

There are those days when I am with my child when I just can't get enough of them.  Everything they do makes me beam with this obnoxious pride.  I marvel at them.  Rylie is a marvel.  I often find myself perplexed.  Where did she come from?  What has made her the way she is?  I had an epiphany this summer...she is mine.  She is my child.  Although we express ourselves differently, I was more introverted when it came to my fears and anxieties....Rylie is much more extroverted.  You never have to wonder how Rylie is feeling, not only will she tell you but she will show you.  

Today was a day when I observed Rylie and stood in awe.  She is exceptional.  Although she has so much anxiety she still is probably one of the most positive little things I have ever met.  I imagine in her head she is constantly dancing in a field of flowers.  I love this perplexing little thing.  I hope to never figure her out because I cherish the daily surprises.

School Year 2014-2015

And here we go again....I always have mixed emotions at the beginning of a school year.  Sad to see the freedoms of summer disappear but grateful to have routine back.  Sad to see my kids getting older and one more year closer to leaving me but incredibly grateful to have them one more year.  I was chastised this year on Facebook for voicing my sadness over my kids leaving for school, to which a mother who has lost a child replied "get over it, at least you have them one more year."  At first I felt misunderstood and wounded but then realized the point she was making.  And it is truth.  I am so grateful I get to watch my children grow up and go through life but my heart hurts over the concern that I won't remember the precious moments of their childhood.  I see baby pictures and I struggle to recall in detail their cute little selves and that is what causes my heart to ache.  I don't want to forget the details of their lives.  But as we begin this new year I feel hope for my children on a successful year ahead.  Not because they will have the best year of their lives full of positive experiences but hope because I know that at the end of the year they will be better, smarter, more experienced little people then they were at the beginning of the year.  I love these little ones and I can't wait to see what this year brings and to be there for them in their struggles, rejoice in their triumphs and comfort them because I can. 

Savannah (9)....Madison (7)

I could've posted their pictures seperately but come on, how precious is this picture.  To me, it encapsulates their relationship.  As different as they are both physically and emotionally, they love each other with all the tenderness a sisterly love can possess.

Carson (4)...here is to a good year buddy, you need it and you deserve it.

Rylie (2)...she will have a good year because she will make it happen, this little bug full of so much anxiety will learn to turn that anxiety into something positive because that is what Rylie does!

Emma (Pre-K)...One year closer to the start of her school career.  This little one is growing up so fast but I am excited to see what she will become.  She is a tender little powerhouse.

Earrings=Beauty

One day a random thought entered my mind and I decided to pull my innocent 4 year old in on it.  I asked my Emma if she has ever thought about getting her ears pierced...to which she replied, "Yes."  I asked her would she like to get them pierced again her response, "Yes."  I said okay let's do it then!  She asked, "Now?" And after literally a second of thought I answered, "YES!"

So within moments we were in the car being more spontaneous than we have ever been.  I had a pit enter my stomach as soon as the words "YES!" came out of my mouth for the last time we ventured into this brilliant idea of ear piercing it was with her big sister Rylie and I can't tell you the drama and tears that ensued.  I almost felt as if I was throwing Emma into the fire so I warned her it will hurt and then asked if she still wanted to do it.  Again the happy word of "YES!"  was shouted out and we continued to move onward. 

This picture below encapsulates the anticipation and excitement.  Boy was she ready for this.  I guess she had given it way more thought that I gave her credit for.  

Gratefully at this very moment the technician (Seriously is that what you call them?) called for another helper and stated that they were going to do both ears at the same time.  Hallelujah.  I was thrilled for I knew this was going to make the experience so much better!

I have yet to see since another child that felt more beautiful than this child after the piercings were done.  No tears only shock and then immediate smiles.  The rest of the day she continued to look in any window or mirror she could and push that little strand of hair that she has behind her ears so the earrings were in full view.  All day she kept repeating, "I am so beautiful."  And yes Emma, with or without earrings you are truly beautiful.

Rearview Mirror

Usually when I look in my rearview mirror it is to observe who is fighting with whom and who was the cause of it.  But on a rare occasion I look and see the most beautiful things.  A kid holding hands with another, a child making another laugh to hysterics or pure contentment just being in one another's presence but like I said this is so very rare.  Today I had another glimpse into the love my children have for one another.  As Emma started to fall asleep her head was bopping all over the place and Rylie felt sympathy for her and took her little head and put it on her shoulder.  As I took another glance I then saw Rylie gently kiss her forehead and yes I did the dangerous and took a quick pic, how could I not capture such love.?!

Lava Hot Springs

 After having a conversation with my sister Michelle I could tell it was time for her to have a vacation.  We didn't have many options at this point in the summer so on a whim we booked ourselves a campsite at Lava Hot Springs.  Lava Hot Springs was a vacay would we take in the summer from time to time when she and I were kids.  She would jump off the infamous 33 foot platform and every year I would watch her do so from below.  I feel I have a big appetite for adventure but when it involves heights I seem to become a little chicken.  We were both anxious to see how our kids would respond to the challenge and boy were we surprised!  Lava has 3 platforms, I believe they are around 10, 20, and 30 feet.  When we arrived there, the boys jumped immediately off the first, made their way to the second and without any hesitation threw themselves off the 3rd.  They are officially nuts!!!  My Dad having to be the cool Grandpa decided he needed to as well.  He received a swimming ovation from the crowd as he was probably the oldest dude to jump that day.  My sister Michelle quickly followed suit and as a result they both ended up breaking their tailbones.  Yay for them, I however, the biggest chicken walked away without even a sunburn!  Sometimes it pays to be a chicken.  Madi managed the second and Sav stuck by her mom with making it off the first platform.  There is no shame in a 10 feet drop.  It was a short two day camping trip but we all had a blast and the kids bonded around the campfire.  A childhood memory we are glad we made.

Yellowstone and Island Park

Our big family vacation this year was Yellowstone.  Harvey hadn't ever been and neither had the kids so it was a natural choice to go.  It was so much fun.

We headed off in the morning to Island Park, which was a 4.5 hour drive away, not bad considering our normal vacations are usually cross country drives!  Here we are all snug and tight in the good old mini-van.

We couldn't check into our cabin until 3:00 so we stopped off at Mesa Falls along the way.  It was a pretty awesome waterfall and the wooden walkway to get there was too.  They also had a telescope for the kids to look through which had an osprey and his nest in view.  This little osprey set the challenge for the remaining trip to find these birds and their nests

We rented a cabin in Island Park which sat right across from a river.  The cabin itself was so fun.  We made all our meals there and enjoyed the evenings after a long day of sightseeing chilling at the cabin, playing games, relaxing in the hot tub or watching movies.

Our first evening there we sat and looked out at the river that was across the way from the cabin.  It was beautiful.  The highlight was watching Madi get the crap scared out of her by a mysterious black snake!  EWWW!

The next two days we spent in Yellowstone.  We met up with our dearest English friends the Church's while we were there.  I can't tell you how much I love this family.  I didn't realize how much I missed them until I saw them again.  Our children instantly connected just like old times...after meeting up with them we made our own journey throughout the park.  We were on the constant lookout for wildlife.  We came up with a new family word "Phantanimals"-definition animals that only Carson could see.  And we had some pretty amazing breathtaking views as we journeyed our way through the park.

Day 4 we stayed and explored Island Park.  We started the day off with a nice float down the river.  It was a perfectly easy float for Emma and Rylie.  We rented a raft and we took off for a nice 2 hour float where we spotted moose, and river otter.  We then made our way to the reservoir where we spent the rest of the day paddle boarding and jumping on the water tramp.  We had to call it quits when the rain started pounding.  What an awesome day, honestly and truly we had some amazing family time that was priceless.

Day 5 we checked out of the cabin and headed to Jackson Hole and the Teton village.  We took the big tram up to the top of the Tetons and stood in awe of the view from the top!  We then met up with the Church family once again as we enjoyed a truly authetic chuckwagon meal with a cowboy show to entertain us.  It was quite the experience for our British friends!  

Day 6 we were homeward bound.  With an awesome vacation behind us.  I loved the memories we made and I am already planning the next one.  And this my friends is what a 6 day vacation looks like to a preteen:

And this is what it looks like to a 9 year old boy who just bonded with his teenage sister:

Good times were had by even Madison, I promise!:)