Our New Place to Call "Home"

It's so funny now to think of all the things I was stressing about just a few months ago that completely down matter any more. I was going crazy visiting elementary schools there in Casper and trying to decide what schools to choose for Lincoln to go to in the Fall. Natrona county has a "lottery" style selection for schools. You submit your top three schools you want then they tell you where you're going. Oh my I was so stressed in making my decision! Woods, bar Nunn, and Summit. A couple days before we moved, someone from the district called to tell me we didn't get any of the schools we chose! I haven't met anyone yet who didn't get at least one of their schools of choice!! So after all this, it didn't even matter:) Oh the things we think are so important.

 

I was super sad to leave my calling. We were just getting a good routine with monthly activities, birthdays, meetings and extra things. It was so hard to pass things off to other people and walk away knowing they probably won't do things the same as I did, but having to know it will be just fine. I guess the best part about leaving my calling is that I will have a new ward, new calling, new friends, but the church will still be the same. I love the organization of the church. We are all do the same thing, almost weekly. We know what is expected, how things are run, and I will be able to get right to work in my new ward and love it just as much. I'm grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Yes, this is the Savior's church and we are doing what He has asked us to do and learning His teachings. I love that everyone has a part and we are all anxiously engaged. No is higher or lower, we all just work together and have the opportunity to serve wherever we have been asked. I'm grateful that it really doesn't matter where we live. The gospel is always the same, and I get to have my family with me:)

 

Sequoia got to ride with Mike in the second/final moving truck Mike drove. It was nice for us to be able to spend time individually with the kids. I was surprised that Sequoia chose to go with Mike; she is a Momma's girl. It was a good time for all of us:) Quoi loved the one on one time with Grandma as well.  They left on Saturday morning. Laurie and the sister missionaries came over Saturday morning and helped me clean the house while a friend (Nikki) watched Lincoln and Aurora. We had a fun and slightly uncomfortable sleep over on the girls' floor that night (one with Daddy and Quoi the night before)  We got to go to the 5th ward one last time before hitting the road just a bit before 2pm. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm so happy we had the opportunity to live in Casper for 2 years. Every where we go I learn so much and get to have great experiences. I love the people I met. One regret, I wish I would have taken more pictures!

After leaving the church, we went to Grandma Phister's and stayed the night there. It is always so fun to get to hang out with my fun family and chat forever. Even though it's not really too much closer, I'm happy to be back in Utah and hope to see them a bit more often. It's nice that the Wood Creations store is in Ogden. Mike will be training on the wood cutting machines up there for the next few weeks, so one of the weeks I'm hoping to go stay up there with him and go do a lot of visiting!

 

Grandma helped me a bunch in the morning getting kids ready and play with them.

Just love this boy. He's got a fun personality and super sweet.

 

Home

The day we got "home" Grandma brought home a bunch of butterflies she raised in her classroom. The kids were ecstatic! It was a bit stressful for me to see 8 butterflies fluttering around in the house, but after a while it became completely normal. Sadly by the end of the next day, their "friends" (Lincoln and buttercup were no more. They were loved so hard they eventually all died. 

She has been such a somber little girl. It is rare to get a smile from her, and even more so to hear a giggle. And as soon as we walked into the door at Grandma Goodman's house and I laid her down on the floor, she rolled over! To her tummy then back. Good girl! Although she did both, she hasn't been able to roll from her tummy to back since then. 

Our first weekend in St George, Mike and Steve played soccer (4 on 4) in the Summer Olympics at SUU. It was fun to go see him play. It was a bit crazy watching five kids and paying attention to the game, but I survived. Kim was out of town with some friends.  

She got some good sun and was exhausted by the end.

The team.

They won Gold in their bracket. Yeah!!

The Four Crazy Cousins:)

Kash had a dance recital in between the soccer games. I got to help her get dressed and all dolled up for it. It made me excited for Sequoia to be in dance or whatever she decides to be in.

One of those rare moments

Sequoia has been in heaven playing with all the toys here at Grandma's.

Da da da daaa.... Lincoln has been saving and saving his money. Starting with some birthday money then one quarter at a time, he finally was able to buy Skylanders Giants!! He ordered it online and waited daily for it to show up. What a fun moment when it did! I'm a proud Momma:)

Sequoia gave him all her money she would earn as well, so he is very generous when she asks to play.

Grandma had a sleepover with the kids on the trampoline last weekend. They made it all night long, I was surprised. I'm actually getting excited for when it's Mommy and Daddy's turn to get to sleep outside with them.

Auri has been sick for about a week now. She is just starting to feel a bit better. I was busy doing a couple things a few days ago. When I finished, I turned around to this. Our sleeping beauty. And today we got home from a walk, I laid on the bed to change her bum and make a bottle. When I walked in from making the bottle, she was out again. It's been awesome:)

It's been raining on and off the last few days. One of the afternoons, we found these all over the flower beds. CRAZY!! They are disgusting snails. Sequoia was so sad when she discovered Grandma was collecting them to be thrown away. Quoi loves bugs, animals, pretty much anything that belongs outside.

Yuck!!