Awe....Family....Isn't it Great!

Our last family photo together. We took this picture 2 days before Tanner left for the MTC. There is always a bittersweetness sending a missionary off. You know you don't want them to leave but you wouldn't want them anywhere else. The day we took this picture, I was not myself because I always get stressed for family portraits. With the stress of that, plus the anxiousness of Tanner leaving, my kids asked what was wrong and I said you won't understand until you have to send off a missionary. Once we started the photo shoot all that disappeared and it became a memorable experience.

Happy Birthday Jordie!

Today is our sweet Jordan's birthday. I can't believe it has been seventeen years since she came into our lives. We are so grateful that we have her here. We almost lost her at birth and look what we would of missed! Someone who is vibrant, funny, unabashed in her beauty, and never takes herself too seriously. She excells at whatever she chooses to do. Whether it is dance, soccer, or now cheer, she works hard to achieve her goals. She is the light in our lives and always gives us a reason to laugh. We love you Murphy!

Palmayra

Sacred Grove

This summer we had an amazing experience as a family. In July we spent a week in New York. It was our last hurrah as a family. Since our children are growing up we did not know if we would ever be able to go on a trip altogether again. We spent 4 days in NYC laughing, shopping, shows, and touring. We then rented a car and drove north to Palmayra. It was a six hour drive but it was worth it. I myself have been there several times but not for 20 years. Being there in the Sacred grove altogether as a family, where the church was restored, gave us such a feeling of gratitude for Joseph Smith and because of him we can be an eternal family. It was a once in a lifetime experience for us all and we will take it with us forever.