July Family Reunion

Its that time again. The reunion everyone looks forward to in July has come and gone. We were happy to be with family and see the old farmhouse once again.

There it is, with the "addition" added on back. Its more like a house next to a house what with the original farm house built in 1912 falling off the foundation. This house is complete with root cellar and mice hanging out in the grass and the old barns still standing in the background.

We spent time in the streams and even had a horse and carriage ride.




And who could forget the fun alien voices the kids made in the fan at the motel with no air conditioning.

And the pizza hut that has to have extra staff each July because of the family tradition of dining in to have pizza.



And no reunion is complete without it falling on Lisa's birthday, this year she turned 25 and it was awesome to spend her birthday with her.

The breakfast Sunday morning is still the best breakfast of the year for me. Farm eggs, ham, pancakes, fruit, juice, mmmmm...




After breakfast it was time for the annual tour around the farmhouse. As I said before this house is very old, though other less authentic additions have been made to it.

Can you spot the working buggy in the background? The junk yard, I mean barn houses hidden treasures that have yet to receive their full potential. Its a crying shame really. This was Robert's great-great-grandfather's buggy.

How about the authentic work bench with wooden vices? Can you spot it next to the toilet seat? This was also Robert's great-great-grandfather's.

Can you see the old original milk cans in the background?



Can you imagine this as once being an old horse corral? Under the spools it used to house horses for Robert's great-great-grandfather and his great-grandfather.

This is the bed that Robert's grandfather slept in with his brother. The original bed. His grandfather passed away this last December.

And his sisters slept in the "room" next to him. This is their original bed and dresser.


Another great reunion at the old farmhouse. So much history still there to see and experience and so much not being appreciated. I still love coming here and hope that the annual family reunion will keep going for a long time.

Oqurrh Mountain Temple

We went a while back to the Oqurrh Mountain temple open house. My girls were so excited to go inside another temple since they were able to see the Draper temple open house before it was dedicated. Both temples are beautiful and I can't wait to go back after the dedication. Here are the girls outside.

7 Happy Years

Robert and I have been married 7 years on July 19th. Not every year has been easy. We have dealt with my sicknesses and my families trials and his families illnesses. But we have come closer together and have become stronger through it all. We are more in love now than the day we got married. Robert is truly my best friend and when the storms of life hit I am grateful every day that he is with me. We had a great day of celebration, even when our car died on the highway and we had to push it down the street. One alternator later and we are very blessed. We look forward to so many more happy years to come and an eternity of happiness together.

Trials in Life

I have really come to the realization that life is full of ups and downs. It is never a constant thing. It is always in motion and I am grateful for that. That there is joy along with sadness. Recently as I have seen a few family members deal with difficult things and a few friends as well, I am reminded of just how much the Lord is in control. And also how much our choices can often affect the outcome of our trials- or in some cases be the cause of them. It is hard to watch those I love suffer and hurt, but I am thankful to know that trials are but small moments of life. That enduring them well, we can be exalted on high. That true happiness comes through Christ who is the source of all peace. I just felt compelled to share my thoughts about all of this during this difficult time.

I Love to Pinch My Pennies

I love to save money. In fact I hate spending money so much that saving it is so much more fun. No really, I get into spending just as much as the next person. I have just become too cheap not to try and make my money stretch. I talk about thrift shopping and coupons and here is one of the ways I have made my coupons really help on our grocery budget. I go to Pinching Your Pennies.com They have great coupons and grocery guides and I get awesome deals through them. How else would I know about the .75 cents off of milk on top of the milk sale and the doubled Albertson's coupon that gets me a gallon of milk for a total of .30 cents? Its through pinching your pennies. If you have never tried it and need to make your money stretch- give it a try!