Best life

Tanner is old and we don’t take him places like we used to. Namely, because he stresses most the time we’re gone and secondly, because he tends to get grumpy with people. Today we took him for a ride to get groceries. He could not have been happier.  

Suits

Our niece, Aimslee, was baptized this weekend. My boys finally were able to wear the suits I bought them right before quarantine. Turned out Beckett’s church shoes were three sizes too small and Taydens pants are about 2 inches too short. Regardless, they still looked handsome as ever. 

Funny Kids

A funny blurb from all the kids. 

Tayden asked me the other day, “So since me and Beckett were going to have the same birthday, does that mean you and Dad committed to having a baby the same day?” I was confused and asked what he meant and he said, “Well you know... COMM-IT-ED?!” As it registered what he was saying I started laughing and he said, “I couldn’t say the real word, there are little ears around.” 

Beckett really loves himself. A lot. The other day we were questioning something and he said, “are you kidding me?! Look at me?! I’m gorgeous!!” 

At home church we talked about being chaste and what to do if we see pornography. Then Cache said, “I feel bad for them. They’re probably really poor!” He meant because they couldn’t afford any clothes. 

Kyle wanted a turn to read and I told him he didn’t know how to read yet. He said, “I can try! See... yahdee yahdee yahdee, blah blah blah.” 

Fit Life, Happy Wife

For as long as I can remember, I've been thin. And sadly, it defined me for a long time. In high school, I was scared to be anything but thin. Someone would tell me I was skinny and I felt like I owed it to them to stay that way. I would go to great lengths to stay a certain size. I would run miles and miles a day, often before I would go out with friends. I would split an orange for lunch. I counted calories and carbs and fats and sugars and proteins.

Fast forward to today, 33 years old and a mom of four. It has taken me years to switch my thinking from thin to healthy. And to be honest, its an ongoing process. I focus on eating healthy foods and getting my exercise in for the benefit of my body. I want to be able to play with my kids and not feel winded. I want to keep the insides of my body working and reduce as much chance of disease and ailment as possible. I want to take care of this blessing that Heavenly Father gave me. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin.

 As much as I count on the gym time physically, I count on it mentally as well. Exercise gives me an hour a day to focus on me and helps me prepare to give myself to my kids the rest of the day. The other day I had some errands to run before my class at the gym. My first stop put me behind and I knew I wouldn't be able to make to the gym in time. I was immediately frustrated. I could feel my day being ruined. I dug deep and refused to let my irrational rigid plan making self to take control. Instead, I looked for a different outlet. There was a high school near by and I had every intention of reliving my glory years and running some laps.

When I got to the track, it was occupied by the local track team. However, the stairs were free and clear. I ran stairs for 30 minutes and it was awesome. It was physically exhausting and mentally invigorating. My mind was cleared, the fresh air gave me new life and I felt success gaining my day back. Being proud of yourself is worth remembering! 

Rails to Trails

This weekend I had the opportunity to go on a bike ride with the Young Women. We rode The Rails to Trails bike ride from Tetonia, Idaho to Ashton, Idaho for a total of 21 miles. It was amazing!




I lead the group and set the pace for the ride. The trail was beautiful! We rode along wheat fields, over bridges and through wooded areas. However, because I was in the front and couldn't stop, I didn't get any pictures. But it was beautiful.

We broke the ride into three seven mile legs. At each stop we filled up on water, got some snacks and enjoyed a spiritual thought.

I love being a Young Womens Leader. I feel my best when I am among the youth. They are so vibrant, energetic, brave and love Jesus Christ. Even though it is my calling to teach and guide them, they have taught me more than I can ever return. After the bike ride was over we stopped to eat and talked about some of the lessons we learned along the ride. Here are a few that stuck out to me.

-Everyone was on a different bike. Some were big, some were small. They were different colors, different brands and had different features. But they all got us to our destination. Our bodies can be likened to the bikes and our destination to Exaltation. Our bodies come different, but will return us home to our Heavenly Father.

-Being around people with the same goals and mindset makes achieving hard things easier.

-The ride was hard, like life, but it will be worth it in the end.

-Having a map made the ride easier. The map could be like the scriptures when we face a crossroads in our own life.

-The parents that provided our relief stations cheered us on and gave us what we needed to keep going. We couldn't always see them, but we knew they were there. They are like angels on the other side of the veil. We can't see them. but they are there cheering us on.

Visitors

We had a great week some visitors. Both planned an unexpected. First, my very favorite unexpected visitor, my brother! Everyone had kept the secret from me. Even my best friend Jodie, who had to cancel our family pictures to make the surprise work. My mom and dad asked for some help around the house on Wednesday night. After work, we loaded up and headed to Blackfoot. As we walked around the back of my parents house, my brother jumped out of the bushes and surprised me half to death. I screamed, fell to the ground and proceeded to bawl like a baby. I love my brother and have missed him so much this year. I wasn't expecting to see him anytime soon due to Covid, so it was all the sweeter. He was here for an interview for Idaho Power. While he wasn't crazy about the location and doesn't plan on taking the job regardless if there is an offer or not, he got a free trip out of it to see everyone. And most importantly, he is finally open to the idea of coming back to Idaho. It probably won't happen anytime soon, but he is exploring the options. And that is enough for me. It was so sweet and special to see him.

Next, was our planned visit with the Gages from Vegas. They come almost every year to visit Matts family and always carve out time to see us. This time, we took them to Ashton and spent the day in nature. It was really fun to have them and catch up. I feel grateful to have such good friends!

Another Ashton Adventure

We spent another great weekend in Ashton. My parents came up Friday and it was awesome to show them the property. I love our land so much and sharing it with those we love is such a joy to me..

We also had the most fun adventure this weekend. It all started with a little purchase of “The Yeti”.

First, let me back up. We had been in the market for a six seater UTV for a couple of months. Unfortunately, so has everyone else. Most machines are in Utah and when we would find one online it would be sold before we had the chance to even look at. One day, I found a Can Am Defender down the road in Shelley. We were so excited to have one so close and we jumped at the chance to go see it. It had many of the features we were looking for, namely enclosed with heat for hunting. We test drove it and noticed the brakes weren’t great. In fact, they were awful. When we spoke to the seller about them he insured us it was the brake pads. Despite our gut feelings, we bought the beast. Scott changed the brake pads and we took it out for a ride. It was bad. Like, really really bad. Not only was it not stopping like it was supposed it, it wasn't accelerating like it should have. (We didn't have a chance to test it on a hill) We were worried. Super worried. Scott called the seller back and being the good, honest man he was, he agreed to give us our money back. What an incredible blessing that was!!

After Scott returned it, we decided that it would be best to keep our eye open, but not seriously look until closer to hunting season. That night, as I was keeping my eye open, I came across a Polaris Ranger Crew in Ashton, ID of all places. The interior was in great condition, but it had loads of miles on it. However, all the guts had been replaced. New motor, transmission, clutch, brakes, everything. Plus, it had all the features we wanted and more. And we were heading up there the next day!! I was so excited. Scott was timid. He decided it was too good to be true and was concerned about the lack of warranty on all the new parts and didn't want to look at it. My heart broke, but I did my best to get on board.

Saturday morning rolled around and as I did my best to push the Ranger from my mind, Scott came in to the trailer and said there wasn't any harm in looking. We ran into town to see it was worth the hype. Turns out, it was. There was a great warranty on it, which was completely unexpected. It had everything we were looking for and fit quite nicely in our budget. It was a keeper and keep it we did!

We took it out for a maiden voyage on Saturday and had the best time. We took a long drive along side the back hills of Ashton and almost made it to Island Park. We found a fun little creek and waded and explored it for a bit. Cache actually found a craw dad in it and almost caught it! He thought it was awesome.

We had a great time and I am strangely grateful for this purchase. We have really started to invest in a life style that we so badly wanted for our boys and its amazing watching it come to fruition. To be clear, I understand that you don't have to make purchases to invest in family time. But we have worked hard to be in a position to make this possible and I love that we are enjoying the fruits of our labors with our kids now. We are making memories and giving them the best that we possibly can, while still teaching them hard work and ethics. I just feel really good with where we are and its hard not to feel grateful and blessed.