New Beginnings

I just want to say thank you to all those that have shown their love and support! I have been brought to tears several times by the generousity and thoughtfulness of others. Your words mean so much. Jim and I have been blessed to feel the comfort that has been given to us because of your prayers.

I truly am thankful for the Power of Priesthood and for the Comfort, Peace and Guidance that is offered us through the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Our family is experiencing some new and exciting changes. At the same time it is very nerve racking and scary, but because of prayer and fasting, we feel really good with the decision we have made.

Jim's job had him gone quite a bit. It was not something we wanted, but knew when he took the job 3 years ago that it was something that we were supposed to do for the time. The demand on Jim with his work became more than what we were willing to sacrifice, so with the prayer and fasting, we have made the decision to find Jim a new job and move back to Utah. We are very excited to go back, but we are also feeling a heartbreak from having to leave the wonderful family we have here in Carson City. So many friends have taken us in and loved us and supported us just like family. We will cherish their friendships always.

I am amazed and so thankful also for the wonderful friends and family we have back home in Utah. Phone calls have already been made for connections with jobs and offers for help have been given. Thank you!

We are so lucky and blessed to have ALL of you in our life.

Thanksgiving 2011

The girls and I traveled to Utah the Friday before Thanksgiving. We spent a few days in Logan visiting with Jim's family then headed to Idaho to see Aunt Suz and Uncle Ryan C.  They live close to the Snake River. I love seeing new scenery.

 On Wednesday night we picked up Jim at the SLC airport and drove on down to Koosharem for Thanksgiving.

Mom puts on quite a feast. Everyone pitches in and helps...even CORY! (I had to put that just cause I know you read this Cory!)

 Look at all that food! Yes, there was ALOT, but it makes great leftovers!

Cute FACES! 

 Notice what Lexie chooses to eat for her Thanksgiving Feast.

 Jim's Plate....Picture Perfect.

 Cory's kids teaching my girls how to shoot a gun.

 Riding on cousin Spencer's Go Gart.

Gratitude List 2011

11/21/11 Today I am thankful to be in Logan and be able to go to all the places I love to go!
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11/20/11 Today I am thankful for people who accept me for who I am!
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11/19/11 Today I am thankful for HAPPY PEOPLE!!!
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11/18/11 Today I am thankful for bad weather that made it so I could see my hubby for a few hours!
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11/17/11 Today I am thankful for hotdogs at Target and being able to be silly with my girls.
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11/16/11 Today I am grateful for being able to talk with my hubby on the phone!
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11/15/11 Today I am thankful for Shampoo and Conditioner!
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11/14/11 Today I am thankful for Beautiful Fall Weather, Snow, Rain, Sunshine, Thunder and Lightening Storms, Spring Flowers, Green Grass...all the elements of every season!
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11/13/11 Today I am thankful that my husband knows how to cook! Thanks to his Mom that allowed him to help in the kitchen when he was growing up and taught him to cook.
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11/12/11 Today I am thankful for internet, HDMI cables, TV, Football and I "think" Spudnuts.
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11/11/11 Today I am Grateful for Days off from School, Felt Rossettes, Del Taco, My Expedition, and Prayer.
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11/10/11 Today I am Grateful for Smiles, Hugs, Christmas Music, Target Popcorn, Clearance Racks, Hearing Jim's Truck.
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11/9/11 Today I am Grateful for banana bread with chocolate chips, Dr. Pepper, people who are willing to sub in nursery, text messages from my hubby, laundry detergent and phone calls from home.
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11/8/11 Today I am Grateful for Cory, Ryan, Julianne and Suzanne (my brothers and sisters). Yes, we may all be a little nutty, and we may not talk often, but we are all still there for each other in rough times.
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11/7/11 Today I am Thankful for Jim letting me put my cold feet on him to get them warm. Wish he was here now!
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11/6/11 Today I am Thankful for the opportunity I have had to live outside of Utah and adjust to not having family around.....Not that I don't love being by family. I miss them terribly, but I have gained a new family too. Maybe not blood related, but we are all here for each other and support each other in the things we do. What a great blessing this has been to me.
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11/5/11 Today I am Thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have been the recipient of so many blessings from a loving Heavenly Father.
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11/4/11 Today I am Thankful for friends who have been there for me through all my ups and downs. Friends who have lifted me, encouraged me, cheered me on, laughed with me, cried with me, taken care of me and loved me. Thank you.
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11/3/11 Thankful for my daughters...they understand me and stick by me and love me, even when I'm not having a good "Mom" day.
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11/2/11 I am Thankful for My Husband/Spouse/Best Friend/Father of Our Children/...Jim sacrifices so much time to provide for our family. He never is unhappy. He always helps me and does what ever he can for me. He Loves being a DAD and spending anytime he can with his daughters. I truly have been blessed to have him in my life.
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11/1/11 I am Thankful for My Body. And even though it is a complicated thing, It is a wonderful thing given to me from a Loving Heavenly Father.

Sam's Own Personal Jungle "JIM"

I don't think I need to explain any of these other than,

THEY WERE HAVING FUN!!

Summer 2011 "Quick Trip to Logan"

Things didn't go like we had hoped, so we didn't get to spend much time in Logan this summer. We made a couple quick weekend trips at the end of the summer. Definitley not enough time to visit everyone we wanted to. Thanks to those that went out of their way to come say hi! We love all of you and can't wait for the day that we can be back!

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Here are a few shots of some of the family in Logan. I always forget to get my camera out so the 5 minutes I did have it out I got pics of a few of the cousins.

I have 3 nieces that have been born since we have lived in Nevada. I hate that I missed out on their infant years. I love being able to watch them grow and to hold them when they are little.

This is Miss Brylee Jo! We saw her at her baby blessing when she was a few weeks old. This is her the next time we saw her. Just a few days shy of her 1st birthday...and walking!

 The Rowley Cousins LOVE their Uncle Matt! He is so good to play with them!

 All the girls and a few of the boys are performing their dance that they made up. They all love to perform. There is a show everytime we go.

 Nate has some pretty slick dance moves!

Brylee Jo entertaining herself while the show is going on!

 Nate doing his headstand and Josh waiting his turn!

 It just started to sprinkle when I took this picture. They turned to look at me and the rain got in their eyes so they were giggling!

 I LOVE this cute FACE! Can't wait to get another hug from you, Jayden!

All the Rowley boys are Kids at HEART!

 Lexie and her cousin, Leah. I think they are glued at the hip!

 And the boys playing AGAIN! Notice Dad Rowley is right there with them! :)

 Maybe it is just JIM playing and the rest watching....Jim, what are you doing this time?!

Thanks FAMILY for putting up with us. Sorry I didn't get pictures of everyone. We enjoyed our visit even if it was short.

Spiritually Fed...

I am so Thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am so Thankful to be able to have the opportunities I have had to participate in this Gospel. I'm so grateful that I can pray to a Loving Heavenly Father and feel piece and comfort from him. I am thankful that I can attend special events in this church and feel the spirit. I am thankful for examples of others that have helped my Testimony grow.

Jim and I were able to attend the Temple today in Reno. I have grown very fond of the Reno Temple. It is small and simple, but grand and glorious. In the room that the sessions are held in, there are only 40 seats TOTAL. And the seats are seldom all taken. Today there was a young man taking out his own endowment. I loved watching him and his family as they participated in the session. His family had so much joy in their faces as they helped him. I couldn't help but feel that excitement for him too. I was also able to just sit in the Celestial room with Jim and enjoy the peace for a few minutes. There is such a spiritual strength that comes from the Temple that helps me keep pushing through life.

After we got home from the Temple, we were able to attend a baptism of a young man. I don't really know this young man, but he has been attending our ward for awhile and has attending the Priest Quorum where Jim teaches. Jim has shared with me about this young man and what an incredible person he is. I was so overcome with the spirit as I watched this Young Man be baptized. He smiled so big as he came out of the water. He shared his Testimony with us afterward. It was a simple but powerful Testimony.

I am so Thankful that I had these experiences today. I am Thankful that I have been blessed to feel the spirit today. I am Thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Yosemite National Park...Summer 2011

WARNING! There are over 40 pictures!

I couldn't leave anything out....actually I did, your lucky there are only this many!

When there are 4 camers being used, there are ALOT of pictures!

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Not even in the park yet and we were already snapping pictures!

Snow at the end of July! 

 The girls...and Jim loved playing in snow in their shorts!

 I love looking at nature and thinking about all the time it took to create something that beautiful/interesting. As we were waiting in line to get into the park I noticed the trees. They are growing croaked. My thought was because of all the snow that sits on top of them, not sure though.

 Entrance

Beautiful

 Lunch on the Granite Slabs!

 The start of our hike to Dog Lake. This was the only level part til we got about 50 yrds from the lake.

 Lembert Dome

Another view of Lembert Dome. If you looke close, you can see some people repelling off of it! CRAZY!

 I was so proud of my girls and the hiking they did. We are not a hiking family. Brindley struggles with feet pain and being on her feet alot. She did amazing! And Samantha hike the whole way to the lake. She led us most of the way, climbing under trees, over rocks and up steep inclines. Not once did I hear any of them complain about the hike!

This is about 50 yards from the lake. There were trees all around then it just opens up to this beautiful lake.

 Yes, there is a reward for hiking! Soaking our feet! The mosquitos were really bad and we didn't have any bug spray with us so we didn't stay long. But we got Alot of Pictures! 

 Another picture of the trees that I just thought were cool.

 There were quite a few people on this hike. One of them offered to take a family pic for us. This log was laying over a beautiful stream with green grass and flowers all around.

On the hike down, Little Sam had gotten tired. Still with no complaining though. She could hardly stand up straight. Jim put her on his shoulders and within 5 minutes she was asleep. This is her asleep from the back. She was bobbing from side to side.

She is out here, but still hanging on.

 I think this is Tenaya Lake. Look at all that snow. Remember, it is the end of July!

Olmsted Point looking out toward Half Dome. Half Dome is that dog looking head in the background. Sam is in the car asleep.

 Another hike down into the forest to see some GIANT SEQUOIS! This time it was paved all the way, but the mosquitos were very bad again. It was very humid and green. I loved seeing the fern plants growing in the wild.

 These trees were HUMUNGOUS! All I could do was stare in awe at them. So AMAZING! The pictures don't do them justice.

 The girls were nervous about going through the trees. There were little crevices inside that bats were in. You could hear them all squealing or making whatever noise Bats make.

 I Love how Jim is looking up at the tree in this picture. Kinda gives you more perspective of how big it is.

 The top of the tree was all burned out.

 This is one that had fallen. It is still taller width wise, laying down. This is about halfway up the tree.

 The base/roots of a fallen tree.

 We didn't get a chance to see the big waterfalls, but we really enjoyed seeing what we did get a chance to see. Here is Tenaya Lake again as we were headed out of the park. It was getting a little dark.

 And we still have SMILES on the way home!

So Glad we took the time to go see some of Yosemite. I look forward to when we can go again. I loved being with my family and exploring new places!