Last Day of School...2012

Miaja's awesome teacher...Ms. Sims.  She made me cry.  Miaja has adored her and so have I.  We were blessed with four years of amazing teachers at Ott Elementary.  We'll miss that school!

Best buds...Miaja and Emma.   They lucked-out and got to be in the same class this year and it was a bit of heaven for the girls!  So nice when your kids have such great friends!

Chase at his awards ceremony!  He had an awesome year and loved his class!

Chase and Mrs. Cooper!  We LOVE Mrs. Cooper and I loved getting to spend time in this class!  So many cute kids!

Ayden at his preschool graduation!  We did this preschool with three other friends and it was so much fun I am going to be so sad to say good-bye to all these cute kiddos and their mommies!

Los Estudiantes...Ashton, Ayden, Hope and Norah!!

.....and the teachers.  Julie, me, Jean and Charity!  Great ladies!

We had such a great year this year.  From awesome school activities, to fun days at home for preschool!  Our family will really miss Texas and a huge part of that is great experience we've had at their school!  I couldn't help but tear-up walking out the last day.  We love everyone at Ott...even the crossing-guards have become our dear friends and the guys that clean-up the cafeteria.  Good-bye Ott.  Thanks for being so good to us!

Happy Birthday Miaja!!

My first favorite moment with Miaja.

Just up the street from our first house in Maine. Miaja loved walking along the beach.

Miaja and Chase in New York. These two are still great buddies. Chase really looks up to his bog sister.

In our backyard here in Texas...just a few days after Thomas was born. She loved being a big sister three times over...and to three little brothers....theres gotta be some kind of award for that:)

I love this picture of Jaron and Miaja. We were on our way out of this park and I asked Jaron to stop so I could take a picture of him and Miaja. It had started to rain and Jaron had to be to the hospital in less than a half of an hour. I'm so glad we got this picture because it is so beautiful!

Can't believe that she's 9....Jaron reminded me this morning that she is now halfway to eighteen. That wasn't nice.
As we sat around the dinner table tonight talking about Miaja and where she was born and where she has lived I felt such a huge sense of love for my little girl come over me. She has been there all along the way reminding Jaron and I of whats most important as Jaron has gotten busy with medical school and residency and I with being a mommy of four. She loves to help, give endless hugs and "entertain":) She loves to wait for the boys to fall asleep and then she sneaks down with me so we can have "girl time"...when daddy is working nights.
There is no doubt in my mind what Heavenly Father was thinking when He sent Miaja to our home. She is a strength, a blessing and a whole bunch of fun! We love you Miaja.
Happy Birthday!

Road Trip to Utah Winter 2012

This past month has been so wonderful for us! Jaron got to go to a conference in Park City for a week then he was able to use one of his weeks of leave after that so we got two whole weeks in Utah in the middle of winter! We LOVE our summer visits but winter is a whole different story in Texas so it's great to get to share what Jaron and I loved so much about growing-up in Utah with our kiddos...and boy did we. I have too many pictures to post and hopeful I'll get around to them all but this was the beginning! We chose to drive a bit longer....past the northern rim of the Grand Canyon. It was spectacular! It was about 7'30 am and couldn't have been more perfect!

We all had our flip-flops on still so it was a bit chilly! We'll certainly have to get used to not wearing flip-flops in Feb. for next year when we move to Alaska!

So I started helping the boys get dressed when I looked over and saw this...they had such a great time. The best part was there was this guy not 20 feet away strumming on his guitar for us giving us some great morning mood music! It was so fun!

Chase was the first to strike a pose!

Love these guys...

This one too!

...Family Photo Shoot

I love that we got our dog Belle, in this picture. When we took our Christmas picture it was too hard to get her into the Japanese garden where we took our pictures so now it feels like we have our whole fam in this picture.

This is such a Chase moment. I can't tell you how often I see this face and the thought runs through my mind..."Could he really be 7 already." He is growing so quickly but each day is an adventure we look forward to!

My Miaja. The only "girl"...other than our dog, Belle and myself...Miaja has learned to be both very gentle and nurturing but don't be fooled, she holders her own in a wrestling match!

"So if I hold still for this picture what can I get away with while their taking everyone else's pictures???"....I know it terrible but this is written all over by adorable baby boys mischievous face:)

Nothing more important, nothing more valuable, nothing meaningful than my amazing children and their father.

With all the energy that Thomas has he is quite consistent about one thing...he always has a hug and kiss for mom. he be wildly playing and grab onto my knees and squeeze tight while saying, "mom, I wuv you." I live for those moments.

Jaron is truly my partner in everything I do. We have grown together in so many senses of that word...grow. He amazes me, surprise me, fills me with laughter and keeps me movin'. I am so grateful for my husband.

These really are the moments I want to remember when I have white hair and have probably lost most of my memories....the times we all got to laugh together, without a care in the world. It really is quite simple isn't it.

Oh Ayden, my steady, sweet kind little boy. He's always surprising me with his quiet curiosity and unrelenting patience, (with his little brother especially:)) We love our Ayden!

Love this dimples on Miaja...she loves to run and is always asking me when she'll be old enough to wake-up at 5am and go jogging with me. I must admit...I look forward to her company.

I love this picture

My baby (Thomas loves to remind me that he is no longer a baby)...

My young man

My little boy...

My little lady...

Recently out neighbor, who is an international photographer from England, offered to take our families pictures. I was so nervous because although I am wildly proud of my husband and children I get so uncomfortable having my picture taken, especially by a "professional". Well, after taking him some goodies for Christmas he said that that was the final straw and the next Sunday he took our pictures after church. We had such a great time and even better...I am currently getting some awesome tutoring on how to better take photos myself. Thanks Jeff!
***Jeff took nearly 650 pictures and he brought a drive over to our house that very night with all of the pictures and some of his favorite in black & white. He is amazing!