Fun Run

I have said it on every post the last 4 years.  I hate the fun run - but I always end up taking pictures.  Probably because the kids are so cute.  And I do love having all  of them in the same school - so when ever they do an activity together I am filled with warm fuzzies. Although this year Noah woke up sick and stayed home from school - he was pretty sad.  They all like the fun run.

Brock with his good friend Cameron.

Women's Conference

I was able to go to Women's Conference at BYU with Krista again this year.  This trip does so much for my soul - my trip last year is what got me through all of my trials last year, and I knew I needed it again.  This trip almost didn't happen SO MANY times - I am so grateful that in the end it worked out. 

We drove out to Utah right after dropping our kids off at school on Wednesday morning.  Or... that is when we were supposed to leave.  I had sick kids and didn't get everything done the day before so we left about an hour late.  (yes, that is right... I had sick kids... thank goodness for an amazing husband who took care of our sick kiddos) 

When we got into Utah we went straight to the Payson Utah temple and did some sealings.  It was the most beautiful temple.  we were amazed at every turn.

Then Thursday morning we woke up and started Women's conference.  I just love women's conference.  The spirit is so strong being with all of those women, it is like medicine to my soul.  To be honest it wasn't quite as good as last year, and after the first day I was wondering why I wasn't feeling like I had felt last year and I realized it was because last year when I came my cup was EMPTY - so empty and within the first hour water from heaven  just poured into it and it was like drinking fresh cold water in the desert.  This year I wasn't quite as drained.  To be honest, I wasn't so drained because it was STILL full from last year.  But it was still great to "top off" and get more gospel knowledge, ideas, and reset my course.

Thursday after conference we went out to dinner with Julie Murdock, the mission president's wife from Colorado when Krista was baptized. 

By Friday afternoon we were exhausted!  We took a nap on the grass while waiting for the closing session.

Our group this year.  Pat, my mom, Krista, and me (we were SO SAD to miss my aunt Jen this year).  They are SO FUN to be with and make conference such a joy.

Me and my mom

Before we left Provo we had to go get Krough-nuts.  They are the BEST THING EVER!!

On Saturday morning we headed to temple square.  We went to the family history library, the church history library (different from museum), got rolls at the Lion House Bakery, and watched all the bride and grooms come out of the temple.  The tulips stayed pretty for us again this year!

We also each found out own quite space on temple square and reviewed our notes from Women's Conference and wrote down our "take-aways" and our goals.  This was a very sacred moment for me.

I just love temple square.

Then on Sunday we went to church at my parent's ward.  During second hour we got a really special "Utah" treat.  A member of my parents ward is a reporter for Church news and she went on President Nelson's world tour the week before and gave us a slid show/report about it.  It was so cool to hear her experiences with the prophet and it just really strengthened my testimony that he is the prophet of God on the earth.

Then my cute mom threw me a birthday dinner.  My birthday is in December but she said she hasn't gotten to give me a birthday dinner in 4 years  - so she wanted to do in then.  She invited the whole family, plus my grandma and grandpa and my aunt Les and her family.  It was so fun.  My family now has a new tradition where after your birthday dinner they go around the room and everyone says something they love about you.  Lots of people got really emotional and cried quite a bit (including my little brother Michael).  It was so fun - it was like getting to be at your funeral.  Ha.  They said some really sweet things about my mothering, my cooking, my spirituality and scriptural knowledge (including my kids scriptural knowledge), and my home.

It was such a great weekend.  I am so glad I got to go.  The kids had a great time at home with dad (they love their times just with him).

Boy Scouts

Brock became a "real" Boy Scout when he turned 11.  This post was more exciting back when it really happened then it is today.  Since Brock became a Boy Scout the church has announced that they will end their Boy Scout program in a year and a half.  This was met by sadness in our home (well... 3 of us).  Brock was (and is) very excited to be a Boy Scout and has been looking forward to it for sometime.  Noah was really looking forward to being a scout and had big plans for earning merit badges (he will never be in the program) - and I have a strong testimony of Scouts and wanted both my boys to be Eagles.  There is a chance we may go into our won Scouting program once the church ends their program.  We will see.  Since the announcement it has really taken the wind out of cub scouting and boy scouting - since nothing really means anything now and no body is really working towards anything.  But regardless... I am going to do the post with the excitement that Brock felt that day.

Putting his Webelo pin and arrow of light pin on me.

He got to cross over the scouting bridge with his friend Dillon

But first they wrote their names on it.

We ceremoniously put his new neckerchief on.  (I asked our friend Brian to take pictures and he is a professional photographer - so he got a little carried away - but I included about 25% of what he took!)

Our Cub Scout and boy scout

His first day of Cub Scouts and his first day of Boy Scouts.

Brock turns 11!

On Saturday everyone stuck around to celebrate Brock's 11th birthday.  After you turn 8 you only get a friend party every other year.  It is kind of tough on their "off" year's because we don't live around family - so you don't really get a family party either.  Well... lucky Brock on his "off" year he got to have a great family party. 

For his birthday breakfast he chose milk mush and for dinner we all made our own pizzas.

After church we played a lot of games.

And he wanted the same ice cream sandwich ice cream cake he had last year.

With so much family he got some great presents too.  He got an MP3 player from us and a cool Bronco's hat from Dangie and 20 bucks from Leslie.  Plus money for college from the Herberts and...

This AWESOME gun from Grandma Hanna and Ashley.  He LOVES it.  Don't worry - it takes 8 D batteries!

Cute cute Brock.  Brock is such a great kid.  He is the perfect oldest child.  I don't know how we got so lucky.  He is not the kind of brother who teases or tortures.  He genuinely likes to ease people's burdens and make things easier.  However, this last year this side of him as come out slightly, and we don't know how to handle it.  Part of me wants to give him grace because it took 11 years to tease his younger siblings, and even then it is so mild - but the other part wonders where my Brock went.  He has also started to show a very funny sense of humor.  He has kind of become my bud around the house - he can sense my mood and stress level and tries to mitigate things.  He and I can be pretty sarcastic back and forth which just helps lighten the mood, for both of us.