Our Family/10th Anniversary Trip to the Carribean Sept. 4-9, 2017

We decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary and Jonathan’s MBA graduation by planning a West Carribean cruise trip, since we had been with friends a few years before and really enjoyed the all inclusive and stress-free, super adventurous and fun trip. We found a nice one going to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. As plans continued, and based on previous requests to go along next time from our sweet family who have watched our kiddos before, we realized it might be worth considering if Grandpa and Grandma would come with us to help look after our kiddos. They seemed very interested. Then, Aunt Rebekah told us she would come along and be a helper too if that worked for us. We thought, great, another helper and how fun for the kids to have grandparents and an aunt there to play and spend time with! 

Then a couple months before our trip, Jon’s sister Susan and her husband Cory, chimed in wondering if they came too with their kiddos, would it be okay as well?! We figured the kids would love having cousins there, and this could mean more board and card game nights for all the adults! So we agreed for them to join us!! Then it made sense for Uncle Samuel to come and hang out with Jarom! 

What a fun crew we rounded up!! So, even though what started as an anniversary trip plan rolled forward into a super fun part-extended family vacation! We learned a few lessons about timing and specific child ages/the fun children’s daytime camp... and that it was super hard to have a focused anniversary trip combined with a family trip, but when it came down to it, we really were so thankful for the whole experience!!! We loved having the opportunity to share some amazing memories with family, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins, and are so thankful for everyone’s incredible help and willingness to take care of our kiddos for some of our on-shore adventures and for the great times we were able to enjoy together!!

Here are some highlights from our trip, mostly captured on Aunt Susan’s phone... thanks for helping us remember these fun times!

Yay for our first big family trip!! This was on shore at Grand Cayman!!! 

Here we are in Grand Caymen on our way to swim with Sting Rays and Experience the Turtle Farm Rescue Center!! Yay for lifelong memories and fun cousin/Aunt/Uncle/Grandpa time!!!

Aunt Susan and Joshy (1.75 yrs old) 

We see some sting rays out there!!! Look at that super blue, super clear water!!!

The Cutest K Cousins around!!! (Both 8 years old!!)

Grandpa kissing a sting ray=7 years good luck!!! 

Mommy & Joshy

Nathan touching a sting ray with Grandpa!!

Katelyn kissing the sting-ray!! One lucky girl!!

Mommy’s turn!!! I love sting rays and bat rays!!!

Our whole sting ray bunch!!! What special memories we shared here!! The rays were so big, were circling around all over and were not afraid at all because they knew these passenger snorkel boats brought food!!! Kimball fed one, and their plate like teeth snagged her a bit, she was brave and a little nervous, but what a cool story and memory to remember!! Joshy, Gracie and Nathan AND Katelyn were a little hesitant at first, but after a while they warmed up a bit and everyone but Joshy got to touch one and some even were brave enough for sting ray lucky kisses!!

Back rub for Aunt Susan!

Love that Nathan smile and sharing in one of my favorite joys in life- learning about sea life!! 

Cute cousins!!!

Then we ventured over to a Turtle Farm where we got to hold small turtles, see some babies, and SWIM and SNORKEL with bigger ones too!!! We all loved this experience and many thanks to Grandpa for sticking back and watching Joshy and Gracie. Such a special thing to do with the kids and family, they were so brave and we will always remember this!!

Yay Gracie!!! (4 years old) 

Turtle time!!! Nathan-6, Gracie-4, Katelyn-8, Joshy-1.75 =D

Yay Grandpa! 

Snorkel time, it was so beautiful!!

After the turtles, Grandpa took Nathan, Joshy and Josiah back to the ship to get some food and for Josh to squeeze in a nap... the rest of us got dropped off for some beach time on 7 mike beach! Pristinely fine sand and super clear turquoise water! Breathtaking! The girls liked collecting sea shells and coral, which we left there and Samuel, Jarom and I liked using my goggles to search for colorful fish!! Susan had been here before so she knew it was great, I think she was glad to finally share this beautiful place with Cory!!

Will treasure these fun memories together!

Here is what the slide on our ship looked like, the kids loved playing here almost everyday. :) Joshy and Gracie liked the kiddie slide with flowing water off to the side the best!!

Game nights playing the Brighton’s peg game were a blast!! We are always up for competitive game nights!! :) 

Snuggles before walking out of the kids performance show that was completely inappropriate and disappointingly suggestive and so we left!

Smiles!

So thankful to all those who helped to make this experience possible and for the sweet memories we could share away from technology and our everyday routines... it was refreshing, fun to focus on together time and experience some new adventures together.  Love family so much!

Daddy's 32nd Birthday!! Sept 1, 2017

After we moved out of our house, we were so thankful for Liz and Austin’s kindness in letting us stay with them a couple weeks while we prepared to go on our family trip and then venture up to Washington for the fall until our house was finished being built. It was a huge blessing for them to open their house to us so Jon could stay there a couple months to still do his ward calling and keep up with his work responsibilities while we were away. 

Here we are celebrating Jonathan’s 32nd birthday together after his parents, Aunt Rebekah, and Samuel flew into town for our family Carribean trip!! He got lucky there was a Celina Football home game that night, in which some of the young men he got to serve with in his calling played on the team. He was excited to support them and experience the Celina Football legacy, tradition and overall experience with his dad too!!! We had a fried turkey per his request and to let his parents try the yumminess of Texan-style frying and the juiciness it created. Then we followed that with some delicious chocolate cake!! 

Someone was happy to help Daddy blow out his candles!!!

Love this man for his faithfulness, hard-work ethic, and the fun and hugs he brings to our lives!!

Happy Birthday Sweety!

Go Bobcats!!!

Yay for a game well played and a fun night enjoying football together!!! Happy Birthday to my sweetheart!! ❤️❤️❤️

August 2017 Our 10th Anniversay & Family Pictures!!

Although we had a whirlwind swirling around us as we were preparing to sell our house the following week, this sweet husband of mine was so kind to brave the sweltering August Texas heat with the kiddos and I to take our traditional anniversary (aka birthday of our family--- the start of our journey together forever!) pictures!!  We figured out some revolutionary gam-changers that made pictures from our remote and camera on a tripod so much better---I pulled the kids out first from the comforts of our air conditioned car one at a time to do the individuals, and siblings....and then, drum roll please, they each were bribed with some skittles or lollipop or something...if they did their best and listened super well--they all did an awesome AND super amazing job!!! Then, we all braved the heat together to snag a few different poses of our entire family for pictures (which turned out so well for being taken with a remote...haha..so proud of us and that trusty camera--even though some pics had some sort of fuzzy blur off to the side <<<not sure why>>> must be on the lens??) and then our budding photographer 8 year old snagged these of just us two! There was no whining, tears shed, meltdowns, and mommy got her favorite pictures of the year, while Daddy could listen to Harry Potter audio books with the kids in the van with AC while I got to use my creative photography magical skills (albeit, while sweating beads from the heat along the way lol) with each kiddo and trying to bring out their individual personalities...and I was so happy with what we got!! 

I am so thankful for this sweet husband of mine and for the last wonderful 10 years we have shared together!!! He truly is the best teammate and eternal companion for me and I am so thankful for the good man, awesome daddy, and best friend he is as we continue to take on life adventures together side-by-side.  You are wonderful and I am so thankful for the heaven-sent additions we have added to our family each year, the immense blessings, challenges, opportunities for stretching and growth, unspeakable love and joy they have brought into our lives!  We truly grew entirely new additional hearts for each one and our lives have been so richly blessed by each of them.  I am thankful for our temple marriage and that we can be together forever!! Love you family! You mean everything! =D 

'

 Miss Katelyn the biggest helper and climber! (8 years old)

 

 Nathan speed-racer man the thoughtful, smart and sweet caring joy! (5 years old)

 Miss Gracie June-bug who brightens the world with her big heart and smile! (4 years old)

Joshy the little smiley, fearless, curious adventurer/explorer (1.5 years old)!

 

What sweet blessings!! We are so thankful for this little crew of ours, the light and love, challenges and opportunities for leaning and growing together, and indescribable happiness and joy they bring into our lives!! They mean the world to us and we are so thankful for each one of them and their unique attributes, strengths/weaknesses, personalities, the way they look after each other, help care for each other and the ways they teach us about the pure love our Heavenly Father has for each of us and extending that loving charity to others everyday!

Love this heart-throb of mine.  :)  He means everything to me.  I am so thankful to be by his side along this journey in life each day.  I am thankful for his faithfulness, determination, hard work ethic, patience with me and our sweet kiddos who try to keep up with his quickness at everything, and for his sincere loving and caring heart who honors his calling as a husband and father with his utmost abilities. We love you, honey and our world is made so much better because you are in it!! <3 <3 <3 10 years down and forever more to go! Couldn't imagine a more exhilarating or stretching, growing, learning from all the bumps in the road, fun, joyous, loving adventure than getting to experience it all by your side!

So incredibly thankful for this sweet family of mine. <3 We are truly blessed beyond measure and so thankful to God above for these greatest blessings and treasures who have been entrusted into our care. Although there are many days we find this parenting experience to test us to the very core, and we continue to find more and more gray hairs from trying to manage and balance our time and most important responsibilities as parents, we sure love them and pray each day that we can help teach them more and more about Him, and help them know of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ's immense love for each of them, and to help them turn their hearts towards following our Savior and staying on the covenant path which will lead to the greatest happiness of all and enable us to live  with our family forever someday.

Love them and the plan of salvation, the Atonement of our Savior and the chance we have to repent, learn and grow and keep progressing each day! 

Speaking of learning and GROWING, we finally were able to sell our house, after having it on the market for a little over 5.5 months!!! Due to our plans to continue to grow our family, we decided to make a few adjustments to our first home here in Texas, and move a few miles down the road into a home that would fit our families long terms needs and desires to accommodate more people a bit better! Woo hoo to the end of showings and that crazy whirlwind of a process, but we were thankful it all worked out in the Lord's timing and for the hospitality of those family members who let us stay with them while our next home was being finished!! 

We are so thankful for this wonderful life. For each other.  For those smiles that keep us going.  For our Savior and His love we can feel and find every day. For the gospel plan which gives us so much hope amidst hardship, meaning amidst societies misguided monotony, true happiness and peace.  Ten years has been trying and led to lots of stretching and growing, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Here's to taking on another infinity with ya'll!!! =D