Wednesday, August 27, 2008

So cute!

blink.

They were off to school this morning. It was all smiles although we're a little stuck on Nevada time. We didn't waste a minute of summertime. Maybe that's why it flew by so fast. I miss my big boys so much, but I know they'll have a great school year.


They were tired but talkative when I picked them up at the end of the day. Then, it was straight to the Quidditch match......

Oh....my baby is growing up so fast! She crawls anywhere and everywhere she wants to go. Bye-bye to the little legos!! She's so happy with her new found mobility.....


The kids are ready for all this new stuff. It's just the mom that's not! I'm excited for every moment in my kids' lives--it's just hard to see them grow another inch and take another new step it seems every time I blink!
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Crystal Clear

Here's the whole reason for our trip home--Tyler's baptism. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful event. Tyler was baptized by his dad in the spring on our ranch. The water is cool and perfectly clean. Members of our family were with us. Tyler was beaming. What a wonderful day! 12 people stood in the circle to confirm Tyler. It was wonderful to have so much love and support. I hope he remembers this day forever.




Great Grandma and Grandpa Carter enjoyed the baptism of their first great-grandchild. Grandpa gave the closing remarks at the baptism and reminded Tyler that baptism is only the beginning. He told Tyler about his pioneer ancestors and how he needs to follow in their footsteps by serving in the Church and going on a mission.

Thank you all for a perfect day!
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Family

Home Means Nevada

We had a wonderful time in Nevada! The kids keep saying over and over again how much they miss grandma and grandpa. My dad took the boys with him EVERY morning. To this day I am not sure about everything they did while they were with grandpa--I just know they were taught things they couldn't learn anywhere else. I get bits and pieces of information that scares me to death. "Yeah, I cried when grandpa left us with our own four-wheelers. Jordan fell in the ditch, but we helped him out." "Grandpa was going so fast in the truck when we were following him on our four wheelers. He got stuck in the mud and the tires covered us in dirt." "I cried because I was afraid of the cows so grandpa drove me out in the middle of them where they were touching me. We were with about 700 cows. So, I'm not afraid anymore." They laid pipe, fixed fence, laid cement, cut hay, changed water, worked on equipment, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I'm so grateful for my dad for teaching them and giving them the chance to learn from him. Work on the ranch is hard and it's even harder with 3 little bodies following you around every day. Their experience on the ranch was priceless. Thanks Grandpa!

Not pictured, is grandma who took care of us all. Most of all, she took care of Sarah. She fed her, bathed her, and rocked her to sleep every day. I can tell Sarah misses her grandma--but now, Sarah eats lots of yummy veggies because grandma taught her how to devour real food. Thanks grandma, we miss you so much!

I love the western sky. No match for these sunsets anywhere else......


And yes, what would a trip to the ranch be like with out some gun instruction. Here's my brother Jacob teaching the kids how to blow apart old christmas ornaments with a 22. They all hit a few. They had a blast!!!


So glad we stayed safe during this trip. The kids became proficient on four wheelers. It's hard to notice, here, but they came home so dusty from their trips with grandpa. Sometimes I hardly recognized my own kiddos! Dirty and happy. That's pretty much how they spent their days. Sometimes they even cried a little because it was a little hard for them. But they were satisfied by their own work at the end of the day.


Thanks, Uncle Matt and Aunt Brittany for a fun trip to White River. Loved the warm water out there. Sarah and her kids joined us in Nevada and experienced all the ranch stuff, too. Thanks for making the long trip out to see us! You're a brave woman!

This log provided hours of entertainment out on the pond.....


Carter felt like a king when he got to ride with grandpa. He was always the first one out the door in the morning....


Cookout out on the ranch........


We were so happy when our daddy finally joined us our last week in Nevada! My dad saved all the good steaks for him and it was a party every night!



Tawnia and Dani traveled with all their kids (Marti, Emersyn, Londen, and Marley) to come out and see us. Dani got her horse ride and Tawnia got a ride on the new tractor--I'll never forget the Miss America wave! We love you guys! Mom and Dad Kemp also came out from Utah for the occasion. Thanks grandma and grandpa! Here are some of the Kemp Cousins.....

Some of the Carter Cousins......both families are growing fast!


Just before we got on the plane in Las Vegas to fly back to New Hampshire, we went to Aunt Brittany's parents' house. They have a great house and a perfect pool. We went out for some Mexican food and we hung out at the house for about 5 hours before the plane ride. Brittany's mom had packed us treats and activities for the airplane ride and she even gave the kids gold medals for their Olympic swimming while we were there. Thank you!! Now we're just back to our fun lives here in NH. Thank you all for a wonderful vacation!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

back at the ranch.....

We are having so much fun in Lund! This is definitely a little boy wonderland. Every day there is irrigation water to play in somewhere, a horse that is saddled and ready to ride, dogs and cats to play with, four-wheelers to ride, trampolines to jump on, and family to spoil the kids with treats and lots of play time......
Jordan always finds the water first. Here he is after spending time picking fresh veggies in the garden.
Sarah has been such a good baby for this whole trip. It makes it so nice to travel when you have a good natured little girl. She loves to be with every family member and she just enjoys the ride.


The kids run from the water to the trampoline (with a sprinkler underneath). I'm trying to enjoy just watching how happy they are without worrying about all the safety issues that come from being on the ranch. :)





The kids love swimming at "the spring". I grew up swimming here every day in the summer. It's freezing cold but it is so beautiful. The fish just swim around your toes and you can watch the water bubble up from the ground. The kids love to catch the fish and just enjoy a splash every day.



Our first day in Nevada was the big cattle drive of the year. We push the cattle through this 21 mile canyon to where there is good fresh feed and water on the other side of the mountain. The canyon is beautiful, but the work is so hard. When I say "we" push the cattle I mean "they" (my family) and we just watch. If you look close enough you can see the line of about 500 cattle in the bottom of the canyon. It's so cool to be here this time of year!





Some of the great grandkids with my grandma Ludean. We spend a lot of time up in her beautiful yard.


Tyler has a way with all the animals. This dog, Daisy, has become Tyler's best buddy.


Can't visit the ranch without lots of time on the horses...........


Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Beautiful



One of the main reasons we came home for a visit was to see my beautiful great-grandmother, Grandma Hendrix. The boys think it's so neat to have a great-great grandma. She'll be turning 104 on September 3rd. We were lucky to get in to see her as she had just returned from her work at the temple! She had cookies all ready for us. We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with her. We love you, Grandma!

Non-stop fun!



We've been running non-stop since we landed in SLC. A day at Lagoon, a trip to the lake, touring Kory and Tawnia's house, Coney's, shopping, and slip-n-slide with the Merrill kiddos, a visit with grandma Hendrix, visiting with Laralee, visiting Temple Square, walking around BYU campus, eating at the Cheesecake Factory, lots of family dinners, swimming at the pool, and driving to Nevada!

Vacation!!!

Got off the plane and attempted to pick up our rented mini-van. Hmm....no more left. Would you like this Hummer instead?? For the price of the van? Uh. Yeah. So, we spent the week driving this beast. I'll admit it. I felt cool.



LAGOON!!! Courtesy of Karen and Clint's Stake Lagoon Day. Yes, we are in Utah, folks! We had so much fun. Thank you to mom and dad for helping us chase 7 kids all over the park. A special thanks to Clint for taking my boys on all the big rides. Tyler is still talking about Wicked. (So scary!)





Fun at the pool with grandpa--we miss our daddy and it was fun to have someone to throw the boys around in the pool. Thanks grandpa!


Thanks for a fun (and too quick) visit, Sarah! Deseret Book, lunch at Coney's, fun house tour, and hillside slip-n-slide.....


Swimming and kayaking at the lake. Grandpa and Uncle Kolin made it so fun for the boys. Fun for boys = fun for girls. I just got to sit and chat with all the ladies.....












Thanks dad for organizing all the fun family dinners. We had so much fun just hanging out with all the family. Here's the oldest member of the family, Grandpa Kemp with the youngest member of the family, Marley Lane.







Love the quiet cuddly moments with grandma and grandpa. It's feels so good to be with family.