Jackson decided to jump in bed with Mitchel one morning.  It was just too cute that I had to take a picture.  Don't I have the most handsome boys in the world!  I sure love them and feel so blessed to be their mother!

My Rest from the World

I feel like I have been absent from the world for so long.  Our family has been racing from one thing to another and I forgot how to breathe.  I appreciate all of those who still have faith in our little family and have kept checking on our blog even though we hadn't posted things in so long.  It has made us, or rather me, feel so loved!  Thank you for checking in on us.  Well, a lot has happened and so it is going to take some time to catch you up on the happenings of our family.  So, I guess that means more blog entries...... :-)

I have been so moved within the last little while, thanks to my mother, to do many things.  The list gets longer and longer but I have felt the need to really focus on our blog more and to begin a blog of my own to express my feelings about my testimony and experiences and life in general outside of my beautifully cute boys.  I originally started one some time ago but I kept it private because it contained some very personal feelings and I felt odd sharing them with everyone, especially with my friends.  I didn't know what others would think of me if they read my thoughts.  However, I have recently been very touched by some of my friends who despite how personal their experiences were they shared them.  How grateful I am to them because they have blessed my life.  I have recently been going through one of the darkest times in my life and it has been difficult to find the sunshine in each day that I know the Lord has put there.  So, I want to join those who have shared their experiences in hope of maybe returning the favor.  Their experiences and testimony increased mine and lifted me in the times that I needed lifting.  My blog, if you would like to read it, is hartexpressions.blogspot.com.

Well....on a lighter note, I wanted to share some of the pictures with you of some of our most recent experiences.  I need to begin again....so think of that period before as my respite....my moment of rest....and now I am coming back with a fury!

So, when it was much warmer....Nana took us out to the main square in Eagle to enjoy the water fountains.  

It is quite the spot in the city.  As you can see, the kids had so much fun.  Mitchel loved being able to stand on top of the water and make it stop with his toes.  Jackson had fun and then a little girl showed up (she is wearing pink in the picture).  She was fascinated with Jackson and couldn't leave him alone when he was playing.  So, for a period of time, he stood by me because he was just unsure of her.  I guess I don't have to worry about him being a flirt :-)  

Afterwards, Nana took them to get some ice cream at the local Burger Den.  They were so delicious!

Well, It's Been Long Enough....Don't You Think

Well, I certainly didn't plan on taking this long to post our pictures from our trip.  It has been a crazy fast couple of weeks.  Life just hasn't stopped!  We went to the beach and then we took some time when we got back to wind down - everyone really needs a vacation from the vacation I think - Jackson got sick, we went on another trip to Wallowa Lake, Oregon, etc.  Anyway, here are the memories that we created on our trip to the Gulf!

Vacation....At Last....

I cannot begin to tell you how excited we are to be able to go on our first "Real" family vacation.  We have had time at Christmas to visit family, which was fabulous, but school was always in the background.  We have never really been able to just get away with family and enjoy the beach, visiting monuments or parks, etc.  Well, it has finally come.....Zack's parents, for graduation, have paid for us to join the family on vacation at a beach in Mobil, Alabama.  We are so excited!  So, our next post will be our pictures from Alabama....

Happy Anniversary!

We have been married 4 years today!  I remember how excited I was just to get to a year so that we could actually use years instead of months or days to describe our marriage.  I can't believe how fast time flies though!  It has been a lot of fun and hard work.  We have moved  6 times, had 2 kids, worked at 5 jobs, finished school, joined the Air Force.....and the list goes on and on.

How grateful I am for a husband who is my listening ear, my confidant, the love of my life, my best friend, a worthy priesthood holder, a leader in our home and a father.  I Love You so much!

Building the Sandbox

As you can see from our last entry, the playset outside in Nana and Papa's yard was just that...a playset.  Well, about 2 weeks ago, it was converted to a playset sandbox.  I have to say that I wasn't really happy about it because I HATE sand.  I think sand belongs on the beach and that is where it should stay.  I hate trying to clean sand off children and trying to make sure that it doesn't track inside of the house.  Needless to say, Nana told me that I would certainly get used to it.  I am happy to report that I have!  The boys absolutely love it and it has allowed their imagination to grow!

Swinging Is Fun To Do

One of the greatest things about being here in Idaho, besides being close to family, is the fact that Nana and Papa have a backyard.  My parents back in Arizona had a backyard but there was a pool so the boys could never really just run around without someone being outside and without much worry and stress; the Idaho backyard is free of all said pools.  The boys have loved being able to run around on the grass, play in the planter beds (nothing is growing in them yet), swing on the swings and play on the fort and trampoline.  Jackson LOVES swinging in his swing and jumping on the trampoline.  He would jump and swing for hours if we would let him!  So, we thought we would let you catch a glimpse of their fun.....