A little more Arizona spring!

 I have been forgetting to take pictures of most of our adventures so thanks to Brooke for these! 

 The kids at Colt's birthday party.  It was gorgeous and hot with yummy food and great company.  Thanks Kindi! We all had a blast.

 Brooke and Kindi are the best.  Seriously some of the most thoughtful girls I know. Here we are at Amanda's little birthday get together.  Thought up the night before, and it was still super fun.  Really all you need is sunshine, a pool, yummy food, good friends and it's paradise!

 Zina, my fish!

 Wilson in his pink life jacket. :)  Poor boy has to use Zina's hand-me downs.  We should start buying gender neutral stuff perhaps. :)

Last but not least, I love this picture! The Bushman's had us over for a yummy brinner (breakfast dinner that was super good!) and Zina made everyone climb into Jacksons crib and then zipped up the net.  Sam and Jackson weren't to impressed but Zina and Wilson thought it was SO cool.  

Thanks again for the pictures Brooke! I owe you. :)

Sunday - how I love that day!

The weather lately has been so nice.  I have been trying to live in the moment and enjoy everything about Arizona this time of year.  Seriously, now that we are moving I am just trying to soak in ALL the sunshine I can get!  This past sunday we had the W&E Thomas family over for dinner.  I love sabbath day's filled with good food and family, laughter and little children (and between both families there are plenty of little children!)  The dad's played a little t-ball with the kids.  They loved it.

Man, I'm going to miss our backyard.  Hopefully we will find something in Utah that we love just as much!

 I think this picture of Bo and Mark teasing each other is really cute.

 Baby Isaac

Baby Sam 

These two boys are only 2 1/2 weeks apart from each other and will both be turning 1 in April. CRAZY!

 Me and Ellie were taking pictures of each other taking pictures.... :)

We love our cousins.

discussing the in's and out's of t-ball.

 These two pictures are from a different day but I just love the slant of the late afternoon sunshine and my two happy boys who LOVE to be outside!

Rain

Yesterday it rained and I hid my head in the sand. All day long.  We didn't go anywhere.  I stayed inside all day long and popped popcorn, played games, watched movies.  I wore sweats and snuggled in a blanket.

I probably can't do that all winter in Utah.  

Maybe I'll stop being a wimp sometime soon.  At least I let the kids outside to play.

Sam - 11mths

Can you believe this little boy will be 1 in a month!  Seriously, time just keeps moving faster.  I absolutely adore this little boy.  He is in such a fun stage.  He laughs all the time at everything.  Yesterday I watched him face plant off the patio onto the grass and he just started giggling to himself.  He usually attempts to walk places first and then crawl.  He will go about 7-10 steps and then fall down to crawl there faster.  He has started climbing onto things his favorites being the train table and the fireplace ledge.  He loves to be outside.  If Sam is outside he is happy.  the end.  He also loves to sit underneath the trampoline for some reason?  He has just started to really love to play catch.  It is cute to watch him try to pass you the ball and then giggle and get that cute little spark in his eye.  I think we might have to start calling him Sparkles after his dad's boyhood name. :) 

 Sparkles #2

 Photo courtesy of Zina

 Big trouble!

1st haircut - happy as ever.

As if that wasn't enough?

We are thinking of moving here.

in June.

Mark's dad didn't get approved for a bone marrow transplant.  That means it's terminal.  

What is it?  Myelodysplastic syndrome. I'm not really sure but I do know it will turn into that big ugly "C" word someday sooner than later. 

We'd all like it to be later.

But in the mean time we have the option to do Mark's 4th year rotations in Utah.  

We love Arizona.  Are we ready to leave? Probably not.  But Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways.  It's not a done deal yet. But I've got a feeling we will have a white Christmas in 2011.

What would you do?

Putting it off.

 At first it was because I was just enjoying my little ones, playing hopscotch, playing "school", keeping my house clean, enjoying the sunshine. 

And then it was because we went to Utah.

For a funeral.

And then it was because I didn't know what to say. 

So I guess I"ll just say it how it is.

I love my in-laws. 

I'm grateful for the family that I became a part of 6 1/2 yrs ago.

Jessa and Morgan work'n it.

They are happy people. 

 Even when they gather together to mourn together.

there is laughter

there is singing

there are games

there are friends

there is service

Kurty & Grandpa Jay

Zina, Wilson, Mark

Zina, Kate & Ellie in their matching Christmas pajamas.

Sam & Wilson on Marilyn's wiggle racers. (The funnest toy ever!)

These are all pictures I took the whole week.  It doesn't seem very long ago when we gathered together for this.   And even after the funeral it seems hard to wrap my mind around someones daddy, husband, brother, uncle, son, and friend being...just gone. 

What would I do without the knowledge that they aren't just gone?

My sister-in-law Marilyn has a gift.  

She makes friends easily and is happy.  Laughter and love come easily to her.

This last week as her and her 3 kids said goodbye to their dad, amidst all the tears and disbelief.

and wondering why?

 she could still laugh. 

We don't know Heavenly Father's time table.

But we do know he loves us. 

We do know that he sent his Son.

We do know that our Savior Jesus Christ died for us.

That we might live again.

We love you Marilyn, Kate, Wade, & Piper.

We miss you Mark Jones.

We are praying for all of you.