Our Family in Utah!

We have been enjoying the adventures of UT. Fall is my favorite time of year, and finally, I can enjoy the beauties of it here where the mountains look like a work of art. They are full of color and quite breath taking. We have been taking many family drives to enjoy this time of year, since we know winter is just around the corner.

Taking family pictures is always an adventure for us....and not always a pleasant one. We have not photo shopped these yet, but here are a few that turned out.

Robbie is 9 almost 10. He is in 4th grade and likes his new school. He has a passion of reading, and we find him still awake at 10:00 still reading. He is our boy who loves to socialize and always has a smile on his face. He loves to be involved in everything and wants to do EVERYTHING! It is hard to limit his desires.

Lana Rose turned 4. A bundle of energy, she was blessed with. :) She mimics her older sister. She only wants to wear dresses/skirts. I wander how we will get through this winter. She loves to sing and has several hymns memorized. I love my time with her at home when the older kids are off to school. She is a very sincere and passionate girl.

This is a great view of the many trails we have visited this Fall. You wouldn't think holding hands and walking would be a hard task, but it was. :) Poor Clara Mae was trying her hardest to keep up.

Clara Mae, our youngest, is 16 months, and we love her so much. She has been a very happy baby, and we are happy to have another red hair child. I am so happy she is walking although now she is faster and can get on the soccer/football fields quicker. Many people say she is too young to be walking. I smile and tell them she is 16 months. She is quite petite but healthy.

It's hard to get a family picture where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera. This one turned out ok. It was our last picture, and we were ready to be done. We have 4 great children who are growing up so quickly. Our lives are changing and it's fun!

Bella Sue is 7 years old. This year will be fun as she prepared for her baptism, but I won't wish the time away. She is quite grown up and it's fun to see her mature and be given a few more responsibilities. She rides her bike like a champ and loves soccer, gymnastics and dance. She is looking forward to getting a horse next year.

And this is where it all began.....I am blessed to have an amazing husband who supports our family and wants the best for us. I am constantly amazed at his energy and his balance for life. We left UT in 2000 and now here we are again.

Clara May crawls.

At 10 months, Clara became mobile. She is crawling all over the house. She loves to stand up to things, and she thinks everything on the ground should go in her mouth.

Our blue eyed, red hair Clara Mae....who is now sporting 2 almost 4 teeth.

Bella Shines

Bella had her gymnastic performance and did an excellent job. She performed on the beam, high bars, vault, and floor. She improved a lot from last year. Her next goal is a back handspring. She was sure proud of her trophy.

Bella doing a front hand spring.

She did a cartwheel on the beam with a little assistance, but she did a one handed cartwheel off the beam to end her routine.

Winter in BL....

I know these are not current, but I love the snow in these pictures. Plus, the memories are too great and needed to be posted.

Robbie went with the big boys on a ride. He came home with a huge bump on his head. Will let Rob tell that story.

This is the morning ritual in BL. The adults get on the tractor/wagon, and the kids pile on the sleds and then we feed the cows. I think it is so funny that they don't mind the fact they are sledding across frozen poop. Hang on tight. Notice, Lana is right there in the front and loving it. Bella is on the same sled in the green jacket and Robbie is the boy in the blue "robber" hat. His cheeks got frostbite once so we have to make sure we cover them now.

Now on to feeding the bulls. Rob is walking along side to act as the "protector".

Lana Rose at 3 1/2

Lana Rose and her favorite toy....Muffin.
Lana Rose has grown up a lot the last few months. She loves playing with her stuffed animals. She has a memory that baffles me. She remembers things of the past and brings up memories more than I remember my other kids doing. She is fun to have at home and keeps me laughing at her many serious but funny comments.

Muffin just lets Lana do what she wants and when she gets tired of Lana, she'll run away.

In Bear Lake with Grandpa's hat. (Christmas time)

Clara Mae at 9 months

Clara Mae is 9 1/2 months. She has accomplished a lot this month. She claps, waves, and is crawling. My baby days are over. :( She has this little body and crawls all over the house. She is getting her 2 bottom teeth. She is still quite bald, but must be growing some (I mean centimeters) because people are just now noticing her red hair. She still has her big blue eyes. She has the same cheeks my other kids had. That's wear she wears her chub. We love our Clara Mae and can't imagine life without her.

Clara Mae

Clara Mae is now 5 months. She is a lot of fun and I want time to stay still for just awhile so I can enjoy this phase. She has found her feet and can put them in her mouth. She sleeps through the night. :) She is a great napper, singer, and yes she found her high-pitch scream. She wants to be up and looking around. She still has blue eyes and very little hair. :)

Pure Joy

Clara Mae is trying to decide if she likes being thrown up in the air. Not a favorite...yet.

Showing off the huge pile of leaves. How high can we go?

Ready-Set-Go!

I forgot...is it a soft landing?

Leaves are Falling

We are having wonderful Fall weather. The kids have enjoyed raking up the leaves and jumping into them. I still remember doing this when I was a kid.

Robbie and Clara Mae

Look at Robbie's face!

Pure enjoyment!

Sunday Pictures and Restored Clothes

While Rob was in Korea, my mom came and spent some time with us. These are a few Sunday pictures we took of the kids. The dresses the girls are wearing are dresses my mom had made for me and my sister. They are in such good shape. It was fun to see my girls in them.

Why can I not sew like my Mom!

Halloween 2010

Halloween came and went(yeah). I have decided it is not my most favorite holiday. It's a lot of work getting kids dressed up...not once but 2 to 3 times. With that said, I do believe we had a pretty good Halloween this year. Clara slept through most of the events. She was a bunny. Lana dressed up in 3 different outfits. Bella used one of her dance costumes. Robbie came up with his costume the night before. He also decided to be a soccer player for the church trunk or treat, but I didn't get a picture of him.

Robbie loves to read...with company next to him.

Robbie LOVES to read. He also loves his sister, Clara Mae. I needed him to watch her, and I just had to take these pictures when I saw how precious they were.

Bella's first season of Soccer

Bella's first season of soccer was great! She loved it though said it was "hard work". We did not know what to expect, but we soon found out that we may have another soccer player on our hands. She was a great dribbler and scored many goals. She was aggressive and was fast on her feet. We are proud of her and happy she had fun. She did love the cheer at the end of the game and receiving snacks.

Rob was their coach. Bella worked really with him.

Birthday Time

Lana Rose turns 3. I can't believe it! Lana is such a fun girl. She has huge brown eyes and a laugh that is contagious. Now that Bella and Robbie are in school, she is my shadow, and I love the alone time we have with each other. She has lot's of fun energy. She loves our dog, Muffin and they are great buddies.

Bella Sue turns 6. Bella has really grown up this last year. She is in full day kindergarten and loves it. She is our independent child and really helps keep us all organized and on top of things. She is playing soccer for the first time and is doing awesome. She is anything but timid out on the field. She works hard and seem to be enjoying it. However, she does say it is hard work. She is also in gymnastics and love it.

She was a bit shy when we sang to her. This is her Sand Castle cake with a touch of "pink".

Her new scooter.

Friends playing Twister at her party. It was a favorite!