S'more of what? (Monica and Kim have my back on that one!)

Technically, we should be in Colorado right now enjoying a little family vacation, but our plans got changed a few days before we were supposed to leave. Since our girls were super excited about the trip we came up with a last minute solution... camping! It was a quick trip but one of the best that Jared and I can remember. We kept telling each other that this was the best thing that we could have done for them. Addie loves to camp and since we don't have to go far to camp, I don't know why we don't do it more often. We have even toyed with the idea of doing it again this weekend!

Addie was so thrilled when she found this bouquet-

All weekend this is how Kimber smiled-

Just love these two-

And what would camping be with s'mores? I'm not a fan but for some reason these were especially delicious.

Jared takes his steaks very seriously!

Just love this one-

S'more of what? (Monica and Kim have my back on that one!)

Technically, we should be in Colorado right now enjoying a little family vacation, but our plans got changed a few days before we were supposed to leave. Since our girls were super excited about the trip we came up with a last minute solution... camping! It was a quick trip but one of the best that Jared and I can remember. We kept telling each other that this was the best thing that we could have done for them. Addie loves to camp and since we don't have to go far to camp, I don't know why we don't do it more often. We have even toyed with the idea of doing it again this weekend!

Addie was so thrilled when she found this bouquet-

All weekend this is how Kimber smiled-

Just love these two-

And what would camping be with s'mores? I'm not a fan but for some reason these were especially delicious.

Jared takes his steaks very seriously!

Just love this one-

The headstone finally arrived and Jared stayed true to his word. He was there, front and center, as the headstone was put into place. The people that installed it are the owners of Everlasting Monument in Mesa. She runs the tractor and he works with the headstone, putting it into place. He was so kind and let Jared pretty much run the show. They were so fun to talk to and had all kinds of fun stories to tell.

The front:

A little closer look:

A cowboy, Grandma and little boy watching the sunset. It's actually a sunrise because the sun is coming over the Superstition Mountains, but not many people will realize that. If you look closely the bottom says "The secret is in the sunset".

The back:

The kids worked really hard designing this and I think it turned out beautifully!

The headstone finally arrived and Jared stayed true to his word. He was there, front and center, as the headstone was put into place. The people that installed it are the owners of Everlasting Monument in Mesa. She runs the tractor and he works with the headstone, putting it into place. He was so kind and let Jared pretty much run the show. They were so fun to talk to and had all kinds of fun stories to tell.

The front:

A little closer look:

A cowboy, Grandma and little boy watching the sunset. It's actually a sunrise because the sun is coming over the Superstition Mountains, but not many people will realize that. If you look closely the bottom says "The secret is in the sunset".

The back:

The kids worked really hard designing this and I think it turned out beautifully!

A Bitter Sweet Return

The girls and I just got home last night from a very busy week in the Valley. My Dad had a much needed, much deserved and long awaited back surgery on the 20th of July and with a family the size of ours, there is always so much that needs to be done. My sister, Bethany, spent the first week with the family so that my Mom could spend time with my Dad while he was in the hospital. I took my turn this week. It was so busy! You wouldn't believe me even if I tried to explain! This week also happened to be the week that my mom had to get her classroom ready so she spent as much time as she could there, hopefully knowing that I had things under control at home.

I cleaned, cooked, helped my Dad (as much as he would let me!), cleaned, ran to the store, helped my mom set up her classroom, cleaned, tried to spend time with each of my younger siblings individually, cleaned, took the kids to meet their teachers, cleaned, ran Grandma around, and you guessed it- cleaned some more. The list could go on, but most importantly everyone was cared for and fed and the house was clean (for the most part).

One of the highlights of my time down there was the time that I got to spend with my siblings that are still at home. Out of 10 kids, there are still 4 at home. My little sister Annie and I spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking (she was a tremendous amount of help!) and even a few nights sprawled out on the couches having "girl talk." You know, important things like babysitting and stuff. It's hard for me to believe that Annie is really 13, the age I was when she was born. She is way more mature than I was at her age!

Brigham and I always have so much fun together. We have lots of inside jokes (Hey Brig- I'm talking on my Bluetooth!) and I appreciate how good of an uncle he is. He loves to take pictures and when I saw him combing Addie's hair and sticking a flower in it, I knew exactly what he was doing. He is very creative and inventive. It's always fun to talk to him about his ideas.

Taylor and I kept up tradition with Oreo Night. Well before my brother Judd ever left on his mission we started a tradition where every time I would go down to the Valley and stay with them we would eat Oreo's and stay up late talking. Jordan and I kept it up before he left and now Taylor and I carry on the tradition. It's my favorite part of spending time in the Valley. We talk about all kinds of things, what's going on in their lives, girls, work, funny stories, the future... the list goes on. Sometimes they ask my advice on things, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we talk politics; you just never know where the conversation will go. But, it's always rewarding and I always feel closer to them afterward.

(Taylor and our cousin Calvin who just left on Wednesday for a mission to New Zealand.)

Of course the reason that I went to the Valley in the first place was to help my Dad. He was such a great patient (it might have been more of a case of "I was not that much help") and is recovering so well! When I got there on Monday he was walking with a walker and when I went into the kitchen Tuesday morning there he was with a cane! He got faster and faster over the next few days and I know it will only be a matter of time before he is walking on his own. Our family really is so thankful that he was able to have this surgery. It has been a long year for my Dad and after everything that he has been through he deserves some relief.

We were NOT ready to come home!. (Hence the title of this post.) I felt like if I could just get the kids off to their first day of school then I could return home happily, but life here must go on.

A Bitter Sweet Return

The girls and I just got home last night from a very busy week in the Valley. My Dad had a much needed, much deserved and long awaited back surgery on the 20th of July and with a family the size of ours, there is always so much that needs to be done. My sister, Bethany, spent the first week with the family so that my Mom could spend time with my Dad while he was in the hospital. I took my turn this week. It was so busy! You wouldn't believe me even if I tried to explain! This week also happened to be the week that my mom had to get her classroom ready so she spent as much time as she could there, hopefully knowing that I had things under control at home.

I cleaned, cooked, helped my Dad (as much as he would let me!), cleaned, ran to the store, helped my mom set up her classroom, cleaned, tried to spend time with each of my younger siblings individually, cleaned, took the kids to meet their teachers, cleaned, ran Grandma around, and you guessed it- cleaned some more. The list could go on, but most importantly everyone was cared for and fed and the house was clean (for the most part).

One of the highlights of my time down there was the time that I got to spend with my siblings that are still at home. Out of 10 kids, there are still 4 at home. My little sister Annie and I spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking (she was a tremendous amount of help!) and even a few nights sprawled out on the couches having "girl talk." You know, important things like babysitting and stuff. It's hard for me to believe that Annie is really 13, the age I was when she was born. She is way more mature than I was at her age!

Brigham and I always have so much fun together. We have lots of inside jokes (Hey Brig- I'm talking on my Bluetooth!) and I appreciate how good of an uncle he is. He loves to take pictures and when I saw him combing Addie's hair and sticking a flower in it, I knew exactly what he was doing. He is very creative and inventive. It's always fun to talk to him about his ideas.

Taylor and I kept up tradition with Oreo Night. Well before my brother Judd ever left on his mission we started a tradition where every time I would go down to the Valley and stay with them we would eat Oreo's and stay up late talking. Jordan and I kept it up before he left and now Taylor and I carry on the tradition. It's my favorite part of spending time in the Valley. We talk about all kinds of things, what's going on in their lives, girls, work, funny stories, the future... the list goes on. Sometimes they ask my advice on things, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we talk politics; you just never know where the conversation will go. But, it's always rewarding and I always feel closer to them afterward.

(Taylor and our cousin Calvin who just left on Wednesday for a mission to New Zealand.)

Of course the reason that I went to the Valley in the first place was to help my Dad. He was such a great patient (it might have been more of a case of "I was not that much help") and is recovering so well! When I got there on Monday he was walking with a walker and when I went into the kitchen Tuesday morning there he was with a cane! He got faster and faster over the next few days and I know it will only be a matter of time before he is walking on his own. Our family really is so thankful that he was able to have this surgery. It has been a long year for my Dad and after everything that he has been through he deserves some relief.

We were NOT ready to come home!. (Hence the title of this post.) I felt like if I could just get the kids off to their first day of school then I could return home happily, but life here must go on.

Taking Care of Business

Since Jared's mom is buried about a half mile from us, it's our duty to make sure there are always flowers there and that it's "properly" taken care of. And by properly I mean this:

Jared taking the weed eater out and cutting the grass himself. The town mows but they aren't very good about getting close and are even worse when it comes to weed eating around the headstones. I have seen them do it, but I wasn't impressed with their skills.

On this particular day while the girls and I were making our daily visit I noticed some weeds. So after I pulled them I realized the grass we had planted was growing really well and it was time for a trim. So after dinner that evening we loaded up the weed eater and headed back to the cemetery. Jared also made sure that the neighbors, Aunt Mildred, Granny and Grandpa Hatch and his Uncle Shell (Sheldon) were taken care of as well.

This Friday Marlene should get her headstone. I asked Jared if he was going to be there to watch them set it and he said "heck, I'm gonna do it myself!" And I really believe that. I then told him that I have never seen three boys treat their mother with more kindness than him and his brothers. After she died and the mortuary had arrived to pick her up those boys loaded her body on the gurney and wheeled her out without letting the mortuary do any of it. Not to mention the casket they built and the many others things previous to her death.

I hope I raise kids that will be that good to me. Every mother deserves it.