Surprise Girl

I just love my McKinley. Not sure where she gets it from, but McKinley LOVES doing surprises.

She loves putting treats in her daddy's work bag for him to find later, throwing parties for her stuffed animals, sending letters & e-mails to her friends and family, leaving treats for neighbors, and writing notes, notes, notes. A little note for someone feeling sad, a note for someone's birthday, a note to say she's sorry, a note to say she loves you, a note with a drawing on it, a note just because.

The other night, McKinley got it in her head that she wanted to do a surprise for our family. She wouldn't tell us what it was & even though we didn't try to guess, she kept asking if we thought we knew what it was. We assured her that we didn't. She asked me to wake her when I woke up. I told her that would probably be a BIT too early (5:30am), so I told her I'd wake her up at 7am. The next morning & 7am, she got right up & went into the kitchen and wouldn't let ANYone in there till she said it was ready.

Finally, at the risk of Jason being late for work, she let us in. The table was all set - bowls out, spoons out, cereal out, and chocolate milk made for every person at the table. I could have been frustrated by the fact that she used most of the milk & chocolate in the process, or that 3 of the cups of milk spilled within the first 5 minutes, but I decided that it really didn't matter. She was so thoughtful to do this for our family.

As I was cleaning up, I found this "to-do" list :)

Family Pics 2011

I don't think I'm necessarily a demanding person. But when it comes to getting our family pictures taken, I really don't compromise. Sometimes Jason scoffs at having to pay someone to take our pictures, but they turn out so much better than I could ever take them. And - I always remind him - we can never go back in time & take these pictures.

We took these pics in St. George. I never pictured myself as a red rock girl, but I'm finding myself embracing it all. We live in such a beautiful place.

Now - if only I could have all the canvas prints I wanted...

Here are some of my favorites:

October 12, 2011

September Newsletter

Can you believe we're into October already? I'm looking forward to the coming fall/winter holiday months :) Here's what we were up to in Sept:

September 2011

FAMILY: Our family attended a full spectrum of events this month: a blessing (Maliyah Benson), a baptism (Zach Benson), a wedding (Mike Johnson), and a funeral (Grandpa Tew). Grandpa Tew’s funeral was on September 1^st. It was a wonderful service & so neat to hear stories from so many aunts, uncles, and cousins about our dear Grandpa Tew. We had a good time in Salt Lake, enjoying our family (though Heidi was so sad that she left her camera in SLC & had to take the rest of the month’s pictures with her phone L. We left for home on Saturday morning, stopping in Orem to attend the blessing of Maliyah Benson & baptism of Zach Benson. Congrats our good friends!! We also went through Panguitch on our way home & spent the evening visiting at the Goobler’s antique home there. The Devenish’s even stopped by for a visit. On the 5^th (Labor Day), we had a great time swimming at the Aquatic Center with the Hamiltons. Then we had some pizza and ice cream & visited at home. Not our normal Labor Day weekend, but good to see both the Potts & Hamilton sides of the family! The 9^th was McKinley’s 6^th birthday!! We had a lot of fun! See her section for more details, but that night we went to Funtime Inflatables and all had a blast. On the 10^th, Hannah Blackwell watched the girls while Heidi & Jason had a date night attending the Iron County Festival of Homes. It was neat & fun to see some of the designs & layouts. On the 13^th, Ireland started preschool! Yay Ireland! That evening, we went to St. George to attend the temple and have a September birthday party for McKinley, Daken & Jeff. Thanks Hamiltons for making it a great night! J On the 16^th, Heidi picked up her Cedar Half Marathon packet & enjoyed running into an old friend, Gayla Perkins. Then we all went to the SUU homecoming party, complete with free food and live music. It was also fun to hand out with Bonnie & Dallas Jones there. The only downer was the on & off rainfall all night. We headed home about 9 & got the kids to bed right before a massive thunderstorm hit. It was pretty loud & intense & we all didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. The next day, the 17^th, was Heidi’s Cedar Half Marathon. She felt good about it & got a time of 1:35 & placed 1^st in her age division! She loved having her cheerleaders there at the finish line & we all had a great time seeing friends there – the Clawsons, Jones, and Hooks. That evening we were invited to come to Ruthann Hook’s sister’s block party. McKinley had SO much fun reuniting with her friend Alyssa & we all had fun visiting, listening to the DJ’d music, eating yummy food & watching the BYU/UofU football game. Just a fun,neat night. Thanks so much for inviting us Ruthann! On the 23^rd, we went over to Discovery Park & had a fun time digging in the sandbox & meeting new friends. McKinley even found some (plastic) gold pieces! That night, we headed back down to St. George & had our family pictures taken. The sneak peek of the pictures were great & we can’t wait to see all the rest! Grandpa & Grandma Potts were also in St. George & we met them at the Pitts’ home & enjoyed visiting before we had a late-night drive home. Saturday we drove around looking at lots for a couple hours & then Jason took the girls while Heidi went to a wonderful Women’s Conference. We took a Sunday drive on the 25^th to go see the leaves & it was SO beautiful. We drove up past Cedar Highlands & walked around for a while & got to pick some gorgeous leaves, smell the crisp air & see the breathtaking sunset. We feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place!! On the 27^th, McKinley was given the Catch the Vision Award at her school assembly. We are SO proud of her!! Great job McKinley! On the 28^th, we went back to Discovery Park to play with our friends, the Bealers. The afternoon of the 29^th, we headed up to SLC & dropped the kids at the Potts (thanks Tiffany, mom & dad!!!) while we went to a wedding dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for Jason’s cousin, Mike Johnson. It was a yummy meal & so fun to walk around downtown together & visit with family. That night, Heidi & Jason used a gift certificate & stayed at the Armstrong Mansion Bed & Breakfast. It was so nice & relaxing– THANK YOU mom & dad!! The next morning, we had a nice breakfast & headed over to the Salt Lake Temple to witness the Johnson sealing. It was beautiful & the sealer spoke many words of wisdom. That night, we attended the reception as well. Congrats Johnson family! As far as homes go, we’re still waiting to hear back on the Short Sale home in Parowan, but it’s not looking as promising because the owners wanted to rent it out & we were not willing to move in unless we had a guarantee that we’d be able to actually buy the place. We’re also still looking for lots. Hoping to find where God wants us to be. MIRACLES: Heidi could not find her phone anywhere & thought it had been stolen at the Aquatic Center, but found it buried in her purse. Kezia almost got burned from boiling water, but thankfully didn’t. Jason was driving the truck & it died in the intersection. We’re so thankful he didn’t get hit. We’re truly hoping it doesn’t cost much to fix.

JASON: Jason gave a beautiful family prayer before they closed Grandpa Tew’s casket. Grandpa & Jason were close. Jason said he had a feeling that Grandpa was leaving the day before he died. Jason had a great time getting to see his family more this month – especially some extended family he hasn’t seen in a while. He’s still enjoying his job & was able to get in some overtime this month on a litigation project. He went shooting guns with the Elder’s Quorum on Saturday the 24^th & had a lot of fun with the guys. He’s also helped out a lot with people moving this month.

HEIDI: Between taking McKinley to Kindergarten & Ireland to preschool, Heidi stays busy most days J She’s thankful she can switch off with Diane Bealer & Heather Johnson. She’s also thankful that the girls’ school schedules give opportunities for more 1-on-1 time with each girl and more time in the afternoons to get things done. The 17^th was her Cedar Half Marathon & she was really pleased to do so well – 1:35 & 1^st in her age division. She really was pushing herself, but felt great until about mile 9. She had to dig deep those last miles, but was thankful she met some fast girls who let her run with them & motivate her. She was a bit disappointed in the prize (just a framed certificate), but the best part was the beautiful day (she was so worried they’d get rained on!) and getting to see so many friends – Cindy Clawson, Bonnie Jones, Ruthann Hook, & Gayla Perkins. She’s glad to be done training for a while & hopes to be able to do more varied workouts. She finished The Host this month & is now reading a couple inspirations novels. She really enjoyed Women’s Conference – especially Elder Uchtdorf’s talk on Forget-Me-Nots – especially since that’s her favorite flower. She’s also still loving Young Women’s. The girls were so sweet & threw a pizza party for us leaders – complete with gift bags with our favorite candy bars. Also – we went shooting for one of our activities & that was a lot of fun. She’s also been spending her afternoons re-doing McKinley’s birthday book and starting Kezia’s.

McKINLEY:

-McKinley is still loving school & her teacher thinks she’s great, which is why she picked McKinley for the Catch the Vision Award that she got in front of the whole school. Most everything is really easy for her, but we’re trying to keep her challenged by giving her harder books and perfecting her handwriting. She is doing great & loves her friends – Addison, Ella, Elliot, and the twins she gets to sit by on the bus.

-McKinley turned 6 this month!! That morning, she got to “break-through” to a new year, do the hide& seek present find, and eat what she wanted for all 3 meals – ebbelskeevers for breakfast, ramen noodles for lunch, and corn dogs for dinner. She wore her crown to school and they made her a crown, too. We brought cupcakes for the class & they also made her a special birthday book, which each classmate drawing a picture for her. That night we had a strawberry shortcake cake & ice cream & then we went to Funtime Inflatables & had a blast playing on the inflatables. Some favorite gifts: A special note from Addison Bealer, Dolls from Grandma Potts, shoes & slippers from Grandma Devenish, some fun puzzles & coloring books from Aunt Trisha, a movie night to see Kung Fu Panda II w/ Michael from Aunt Cindy, cookies from our next-door neighbors, and lots of books, crayons, markers from mom & dad, along with a very special Mount McKinley picture that they hope she will keep for a long time.

-One day after mom asked her to do something – or wouldn’t let her do something, McKinley was upset & said “You’re ruining my life EVERY DAY!”

-McKinley got some candy bars for her birthday & since our neighbors gave her some cookies for her birthday, she wanted to return the favor, so she wrote a note & gave them her candy bars.

-McKinley did a FHE this week on something she learned in her Primary Class – Daniel & the Lion’s Den. She had colored, cut out people to tell the story & even made some of her own to supplement. We were all so impressed about what she knew! Great job McKinley!

-One day, McKinley said “I wanna be a rock star someday!”

-One night, we were looking at the stars on the girls’ ceiling & McKinley said “Look! It’s the big scooper!”

-McKinley has been LOVING the Magic Treehouse books that mom ordered. There’s a magic tree house that takes 2 kids to different places & we’ve read about Dinosaurs, Knights, and Mummies!

-McKinley had a dream one night that she shared with us at breakfast: She dreamt about a T-Rex (just like in the Magic Treehouse book we’ve been reading), and then she & Michael were at a Party for Daken & there were doors & she opened one thinking that she could get to Narnia, but there was just a baby crib & baby stuff. And Michael found a compass.

-McKinley’s imagination is so fun to see. One day she decided it was the (puppet) elephant’s birthday party & the elephant was so sad because no one remembered. But secretly, McKinley made a huge party for him, complete with decorations, gifts, a cake, and confetti. All her animals & dolls were invited. It was so cute.

IRELAND:

-Ireland started preschool this month & is LOVING it! She goes with her friend, Shaylee Johnson, and loves to see her teacher Miss Meili, play with her friends, make lots of crafts, and learn colors, shapes, letters & numbers.

-Ireland has seemed to inherit her love of note-writing from her older sister. Most nights after she’s put to bed, she will come out after a few minutes with a note for mom or dad or both. She loves to draw animals, shapes, and she LOVES to use a rainbow of colors. She does such a great job & we love all her works of art.

-Ireland likes to negotiate with time. She will ask for something & then say “for 5 minutes, OK?”

-Ireland had a rash around her nose earlier this month & it got really bad, so we took her in & it turned out she had a staph infection. She was on oral and topical antibiotics for 10 days. Thankfully, it’s much better, but she had to miss her first week of preschool L

-Ireland loves pregnant women for some reason. She gets so excited when she finds out they have a baby in their tummy. She was talking to Diane Bealer about her baby & asked where the baby was & Diane pointed to her tummy & Ireland asked “Did you eat him?”

-Ireland had a very descriptive dream this month, too. She said “My dream took me to a diffferent cabin. There were lots of people there. There was a princess in a yellow dress with a mirror – but it wasn’t magic until her dreams came true. Mommy was there and she had a puppy in her purse & it said to go look at all the potties. And it wanted some food – some goldfish crackers – and I wanted to go home, but I didn’t know how.”

-One day, mom came in the kitchen to find Ireland bringing rocks inside. Mom asked why & Ireland said “Because the rocks are scared of the thunder!”

-For some reason, Ireland thinks it’s great fun to untwist all the door stops, so we are finding them all over.

-Ireland was walking down the sidewalk (going to meet McKinley’s bus) & talking to her dad on the phone. Mom hears her say” Well, I have a dress on. What are YOU doin’ daddy?”

-One day, Kezia was really sad & crying. Ireland walked over to her & said “Do you want a blessing Kezia?” and proceeded to put her hands on Kezia’s head & give her a “blessing”. Kezia wasn’t really interested & starting walking away, but Ireland just walked along with her hands on her head, giving her a “blessing.” J

-Later that day, Ireland & McKinley were taking a bath & mom hears this from the other room from Ireland “Okay I’m going to baptize you.” And then (after a splash) “There! You’re baptized!”

-Ireland has really been on a scissor kick lately. It’s good because she’s getting more & more coordinated with the scissors, which is a good skill to have –especially since it’s harder being a lefty. But – the downside is that there are little pieces of paper strewn all over her room & the house – and one afternoon she decided to use her scissors on the tip of Tundra’s tail L

-Ireland had to recite the 10^th article of faith for sharing time in primary, so mom came in to help her. She had a sign that had the words on it & she just kept holding it up & bringing it to people, saying “article of faith!!” She was beyond excited. When she got to the microphone, she yelled into it “ARTICLE OF FAITH!!” Then she got the giggles & just laughed & laughed till mom told her to take a deep breath. Then she was able to (somewhat) repeat what mom told her. She did a good job, though J

-Ireland keeps saying “I want another mom (and/or) dad.” At first, mom was sad. But then dad clarified that what she really wanted was MORE moms & dads. Daddy asked her how many she wanted. She said “Like a mom & dad and a mom & dad and 10 times!!” (with her big, wide eyes & enthusiastic voice). Dad asked what she would do with all those parents. Her answer? “HUG THEM!”

-One day in the car, Ireland said “Pleeeeeease can we go see grandma? For just 5 whiles?”

-One day Ireland was helping me in the laundry room & there was bedding on the ground. She said “Mom – the floor is really sheet-y.”

-Ireland loves to get toilet paper, get it wet, scrunch it into a ball, “bake” it in her oven, put it in a sandwich bag, and offer everyone her “cookies.”

-One day in the bathtub, Ireland said “Mom – I wanna ask you something” (we think she meant TELL you something). Then she said “I really like your husband.”

KEZIA:

-We love our blue-eyed, blonde-haired almost 2-year-old girl. She sure keeps us on our toes! She has really been mastering the English language and is even starting to boss people around and tattle-tell. She says “Go in time out!”, “Don say DAT!” “Take your bowl!” (to Ireland who hadn’t taken her bowl to the table) “Mom – put the (milk) lid on!” “Shut the door!” “Mom – Ireland/McKinley hit me!” “Sydney jumped on me!”

-One morning, Jason wasn’t feeling good & was still in bed. Mom asked Kezia if daddy was sick. Kezia said “He’s grumpy!”

-Mom wore a green swim suit for the aquatic center & Kezia saw her & said “Alien!”

-Kezia demands hugs & kisses for bedtime & goodbyes. When we dropped McKinley’s friend Addison off at school, Kezia said “KISSES!” to Addison.

-One morning mom came in to get Kezia & she had taken her diaper off & THEN had proceeded to poop in her crib.

- Kezia is still our sympathetic child & will say “I’m sorry Mom/Dad/Ireland/McKinley” when we are frustrated or upset.

-Kezia is SUCH a big girl now! She won’t sit in her high chair, won’t wear a bib, and can get up and down from the kitchen stools.

-She went pee pee in the potty 3 times!!

-Kezia apparently needs to make it known whenever she toots. She will even come into the room where mommy is & say “Mom – I tooted!”

-Kezia is climbing all over everything. She climbs on top of the girls’ bookshelf & loves turning on & off the light. And she can scoot the barstool, stand on top, walk on the countertops & retrieve whatever mom has put on the fridge that she doesn’t want the girls getting into! She also pushed the bread maker off the countertop. We’re hoping it will still work!

-Kezia is a big helper & is pretty good about cleaning up messes. If she makes a mess, she will ask for a rag. McKinley spilled one morning & Kezia climbed off her chair, got a rag & brought it to her.

Forget-me-not

Were you at the Women's Conference last night?

Jason dropped me off at the stake center after a couple hours of fruitless lot-searching. I was feeling kind of discouraged. And even on the sad side. I usually go to these kinds of things with my mom and sisters. Even though it was nice to visit with a couple women from the ward/stake, I still couldn't shake the loneliness.

After the dinner, we filed into the chapel & the meeting began. As the opening song played, I wrote down questions/concerns that I've been having & hoping to find inspiration at the upcoming meeting(s). Julie Beck's talk was wonderful, as was her counselors. I found they each touched on one or more of my questions/concerns. But my heart stayed a bit heavy & sad.

Then, Elder Uchtdorf. Wow. Somehow that man can speak right to my heart. You see - forget-me-nots are my favorite flower. Ask my husband. Look at THIS post. They've been my favorite flower since I was a little girl. Yes - I love the smell of roses. I love the color of the tulips, but there's something about the forget-me-nots that is just me. So - when he started talking about my favorite flower - and even had a tie on that matched the color of my flower - I couldn't (and still can't!) stop the tears. Such a precious talk. It touched me deeply and really reminded me that even though at the time, I felt like that small little flower, the Lord loves & appreciates me for who I am. Truly changed me & made my heart rejoice. The Lord truly knows & loves me! I hope you are able to watch it. I know I will be re-watching it- whenever I'm feeling small & insignificant.

Cedar Half!

Well, last night was a lot of fun and we went & played at the park & visited with my friend Gayla who came up for the half. Then we went to SUU where they were having a big homecoming shin-dig. Free food. Free music. Fireworks. Good times all around. The only damper was an on & off rainfall. We had to head home around 9, though, to get the kidlets in bed, so we headed home & eventually went to bed.

Well, let's just say it wasn't in my top 10 best nights sleep ever. Lightning flashing. Thunder crashing. It was C R A Z Y! Then I kept dreaming about the race & having to climb up mountains & also about having a torrent of rain during the race. Because - seriously - it was a downpour outside. Then I got up at what I thought was 5:30am for the race. Lo & behold, Miss Kezia had been playin' with our alarm clock again. It was only 5. So - I hung out for a while before Bonnie Jones (the 2nd counselor in our YW presidency - and an awesome athlete) picked me & another girl up and we headed to the buses at the park. I had to hold myself back from singing "the wheels on the bus." Guess I was a little excited. We got to Woods Ranch & hung around the fires & I met up with some friends from Herriman - Jacie & RuthAnn. And started the race with another friend, Cindy Clawson. Let me just say that it was FREEZING up there. Not too rainy, thankfully. But FREEZING. When it was time to head out, I knew I shouldn't run too fast, but it was hard to hold back. My legs & lungs felt fine, so I just let myself go. I did sub-7 min/miles for the first 7 miles. SUB-7!! I just kept saying to myself - way too fast!! way too fast!! I'm going to feel this soon. Well, my legs did start whining at about mile 9. At mile 11, they were shouting, and that last mile, they were screaming, but I just kept pushing it. I found some fast girls that I could keep up with & talk to & kept my mind off my legs. Jason texted me on mile 12 & it said "Run Mom Run!" - I really wanted to see my favorite little cheerleaders, so I really pushed that last mile. It was sooo good to see my beautiful little family cheering me on. I always get a little teary-eyed seeing them there. They support me SO MUCH. So - my time was 1:35. was SO happy! My previous PR for a half was 1:43, so I crushed it!! I also got 1st in my 30-34 age division. It seriously could not have been a more perfect day for a run. No rain. Just a bit chilly. SO nice. I, of course, did not do this alone & prayed some prayers to keep me going, so I have to thank my Heavenly Father, too :)

(Bonnie did AWESOME & got 1st in her age group, too! Go Bonnie!)

Thoughts & Feelings - 9/11

Where were you on this date, a decade ago? I really find it interesting, finding out what everyone was doing, how they found out, what they did, how they felt.

As for me... I was working in the Federal Building - downtown SLC. I remember walking in the building that morning & a few people were gathered around the T.V. in the lunchroom. My co-worker, Karen, told me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I have to say... I wasn't aghast at this point. I just thought "Hmmm - wow. That's a crazy thing. But things like that happen in this crazy world." I thought it was an accident. I had no idea it was a premeditated attack. I went to my office. But more & more people gathered around the TV, so I went back in & watched as that 2nd plane hit the WTC. And then the Pentagon. By this time, everyone had forgotten about work. Panic had hit me by then. I just kept thinking "our nation is under attack - HERE!" I heard about Flight 93. Now I was really anxious. I didn't imagine it would hit where I was, but I have to admit I was a little worried about being in a Federal Building. After staring at the TV for quite a while, I think people drifted off, but I think they gave admin leave by the early afternoon. I talked to Jason, who was at school. I cried some. I went to my mom's. We came together as a family & made sure everyone was okay. I just remember the hurt that day. So many horrible images kept pouring out of that T.V. So many horrible details of the attacks. Stories of emergency personnel and loved ones. People jumping out of buildings...Oh... it still hurts my heart so much. We, as a nation, came together so much that day & the days following. So many flags. So much patriotism. So much anger - and humility. Both sides of the spectrum.

I just wanted to take a minute & remember that day. Remember those whose lives were lost & honor them.

Also - today, I guess, my heart is a little more tender as well, because my brother is one of those men over there in Afghanistan, continuing - a decade later - to fight those terrorists who cannot seem to get over their hatred of us. We're praying hard for him. And for all those still fighting for our freedoms.

I hope God can continue to Bless the U.S.A.

August Newsletter

A bit late, but I have my excuses. I'll have to post pictures at a later time. Enjoy!

August 2011

FAMILY: Another busy summer month for the Hamilton family. Our sad news this month is that Grandpa Tew passed away on the 28^th. We are going to miss him so much – and at the same time we know he is happy & peaceful on the other side. On the 3^rd, we had a picnic in the park with daddy J On the 5^th, we loaded up & headed north. WAY North. It was our annual Potts Family Retreat & this year we went to Island Park, Idaho at a nice cabin that the Potts rented. We had some great memories, including going to Yellowstone & seeing Old Faithful, some elk, and some other geysers, yummy food, a family talent show, watching movies, roasting marshmallows, playing games, sitting in the hot tub, having a Sunday School lesson by dad, coloring, singing songs, baking, picking flowers, the girls sleeping on bunk beds with their cousins, playing at the park, and just enjoying visiting with family that we don’t get to see a lot. The girls sent Grandma & Grandpa Potts thank you pictures for putting on the retreat. It was wonderful. On the 9^th, on the way back home, we stopped to see the Bensons & Jason got to meet Maliyah & we got to see Brent for a little while, too. It was a looong drive home – we didn’t pull in till around 10:30 – and Jason wasn’t feeling too well, but it was all worth it! On the 19^th, we headed to Richfield for Heidi & Kim’s triathlon. It was great to see family & Heidi did well – finishing as the 2^nd woman overall. Afterwards, she used her prize money ($30) and we all celebrated at Ideal Dairy with ice cream and punch bags. It was a downpour when we got back to the Devenish’s & the girls had a blast playing in the rain with their cousins & getting soaked. The 23^rd was our ward STOMP (Summer Trying Out Moroni’s Promise) Banquet. It was a fun picnic and the girls always love seeing their ward friends. On the 26^th, Heidi took Ireland & Kezia to Discovery Park for fun day Friday while McKinley was having fun at Grandma Devenish’s. On the 30^th, McKinley started Kindergarten! She was so excited to go with her friend Addison & ride the bus. We also saw a big home in Legacy Estates in Enoch that we’ve been debating about making an offer on. We’re trying to be prayerful about where the Lord wants us. Other than that, we’ve still been enjoying the wonderful summer weather – walks & hanging out outside. The girls seem to have definite preferences to colors in our home. For meals (plates, bowls & cups), McKinley wants blue, Ireland wants green, and Kezia wants purple. MIRACLES: Heidi & some girls & Diane Bealer were going up to Bonnie’s cabin & the truck just completely died. She had to pull over & they had to have someone else bring them to the cabin. It happened just as they were going to try & pass someone & she’s thankful it didn’t die as they were passing. The other MIRACLE was that we were worried it was going to cost an arm & leg to fix the truck, but after Jason installed a new fuel filter, the check engine light went off & it’s been running fine. Another MIRACLE: Heidi could NOT find her new cell phone at the pool, and was worried it might have been stolen, but after a while of searching, found it buried in her purse. Thank you Heavenly Father!

JASON: Jason did shave off his beard right after our last newsletter. He’s feeling much cooler now J He was sad that we forgot fishing poles for the Yellowstone trip, but still had fun seeing Yellowstone & showing all the geysers to his daughters. He’s still enjoying his job & the flexibility it gives him. Jason got called to be the 2^nd counselor in Elder’s Quorum this month (a change from being the Secretary). The Elders were in charge of the ward activity this month, so Jason got to help out (with Heidi’s help) with the invitations and set-up & clean-up. He’s also helped a few people move in or out this month. Jason got to go with McKinley to her back to school night & had fun on the mini daddy-daughter date. Jason & Heidi got new cell phones this month since they changed their T-mobile plan to a contract. Jason’s had fun figuring out his new Android and loading music & downloading apps for it.

HEIDI: Heidi had a great time seeing her family on our Potts Retreat this year. She went running one morning with dad & it was such a beautiful setting. She also loved seeing the geysers and eating the yummy ice cream. Heidi had lots of fun with her Young Women this month & got to go water skiing on the 3^rd & then had a sleepover at Bonnie Jones’ cabin by Panguitch Lake on the 26^th. She really enjoys the Young Women girls and leaders. She’s also really thankful for Jason’s support as she does these activities. The Richfield Triathlon was a lot of fun & Heidi was pleased to do so well – especially since the overall women’s leader was doing the ½Ironman the next weekend – so she didn’t feel too bad about losing to her J It was fun to get $30, a pair of socks & be featured in the newspaper. She’s still training & hoping to complete the Cedar City ½ marathon in September. Then she’ll be ready for a little break in training J She’s also put a lot of time into McKinley’s birthday book this month. The sad part is that she had 80 pages completed & then the software program completely crashed & wouldn’t open her book any more. The technical support tried to help for a few days, but in the end, she had to start over L Thankfully, she had the scrapbook pages done & she found some files with the layout, so it was just a matter of bringing it all together again. She’s also put a lot of time into back-to-school shopping for the girls. She’s probably been to 10 different stores (with all 3 girls) & hopes that they will be completely set for the year!!

McKINLEY:

-McKinley’s BIG NEWS this month is that she’s officially a KINDERGARTENER! She was so excited for her first day of school & even made a count-down chain. She had all her prep work done this month, including lots of back-to-school shopping, a trip to the dr’s for booster shots (more on that later), a back-to-school night with daddy, a 1-on-1 teacher assessment with Mrs. Jones (where she told mom that McKinley was basically the top of her class), and her first official day of school on the 30^th! Mom & dad took her to her first day & mom put a special note in her backpack telling her how special she is & how proud she is of her. McKinley loved her first couple days and is excited to go to recess, meet new friends, and ride the bus!

-McKinley had to go to Doctor North twice this month. Once she went for her Kindergarten booster shots. Unfortunately, her body did not like them and her leg swelled where her shots were and it was hot to the touch. That lasted a week & a half before it got better. Then she had a mild reaction to the chickenpox vaccine & got spots on her face. Thankfully, this all went away after a couple weeks, but it was a bit nerve-racking! The 2^nd time she went to the Dr. was for a bad ear infection. It started hurting her while we were in Island Park. She said she woke up one night crying & she was going to go to mom & dad but then remembered that Kezi was sleeping in their room, so she just cried & Michael (who was sleeping with her) told her to say a prayer & she was able to sleep that night. Thankfully she was OK until we got back & could get to the doctor. She had to take ear drops for the next week and a half.

-McKinley had a great time on the Potts retreat – especially seeing her cousins and getting to go see Yellowstone.

-After we got back from Yellowstone, we were in mom’s room and McKinley said “Yuck! Kezia’s diaper smells like a geyser!”

-McKinley & Ireland love to get in their leotards and have mom put on some classical symphonic music (they call it ballerina music) and dance and dance!

-One day while mom was getting lunch set out, McKinley said “Mom – Satan thinks he’s perfect, but he’s not. Well… he’s the perfect bad guy!”

-We finished reading the first 3 books of Little House on the Prairie this month. We had such a great time reading about the adventures of Laura Ingalls and life in the “olden days”. And it was even more intriguing because the stories were true!
-McKinley got to spend a couple days at Grandma Devenish’s house this month. She said she had a lot of fun with her grandma & cousins. They baked, went shopping, and read books!

-One day McKinley said “Mom – let’s pretend I’m six already. Because… I have to practice being six, OK?”

-McKinley was so sweet when mom was crying after finding out that Great-Grandpa had died. She hugged her & made her a sweet paper.

-Mom was pretty stressed about getting Great-Grandpa Tew’s Memorial Slideshow done in time & she was working on the computer a lot. McKinley made mom a peanut butter & honey sandwich (microwaved, even!) and brought it in to her at her computer. It was SO thoughtful.

-Daddy gave McKinley a father’s blessing the Monday before she started school. In it, daddy talked about being a good friend, having fun at school, using kind words, being more obedient to parents, and a desire to learn.

-McKinley was singing the “Days of the Week” song & realized that Sunday was first. She said “Mom – the first day of the earth was church.”

-Before we left for SLC for Great-Grandpa’s funeral, McKinley was thinking about seeing Michael. She said “Mom – Do you think Heavenly Father ever tells people to marry their cousins?... Maybe that’s why I love Michael so much. Because I’m supposed to marry him.”

IRELAND:

-Ireland had a lot of fun in Yellowstone – especially getting to sleep in the top bunk with her cousin Joshua every night. One night around the campfire, Ireland looked at her Uncle Josephs arms and said “Did they put STAMPS on you?” And when Joseph didn’t know what to say other than “yes,” Ireland turned to mom & said “MOM- They put STAMPS on him!!”

-All the way home from Yellowstone (and on other trips), Ireland says “We’re in Cedar City!!” We have to keep telling her that we’re not there yet, but she’s just SO excited to be in Cedar City!

-Ireland still has some problems with tantrums – especially when she’s tired. She just won’t be reasoned with and will scream and scream. Things have gotten a little bit better, though, and we’re trying to do better about making sure she gets enough 1-on-1 time and rest.

- Ireland calls it “fork & beans”

-When we were in Richfield, the sky was dark & starting to rain. Ireland said “The sky is sad. It wants a tissue.”

-Ireland is STILLLLL infatuated with leotards and cannot go an entire day without one or two different leotards on.

-Ireland had a rare accident one day & decided to get the bleach & shake the bottle over the top of her accident. Thankfully, hardly any bleach came out, but we had a good talk about not touching the bleach.

-When we pulled into our twin home neighborhood, Ireland said “The houses are stuck together!”

-For FHE one night mom asked “Why do we come to earth?... To get….?” Ireland said (raising both arms above her head) “CANDY!!!”

-Ireland is getting more & more outgoing. When we go to the store or the park, she will just come right up to someone & say “Hi! What’s your name? I’m Ireland…” and proceed to tell them lots of “interesting” things J

-Ireland found a blue flower & gave it to daddy & said “It’s a BOY flower dad!”

-Daddy gave Ireland a father’s blessing at the end of the month and it talked a lot about friends and being a good friend, paying attention to the teacher, and being a big helper.

-Ireland is REALLY turning into quite the artist. She loves drawing animals lately and drew a VERY good elephant in her journal the other day. She also loves to write notes like her sister & give them to people (especially when she’s supposed to be in bed asleep)

-Ireland has played a lot more with our neighbor Shaylee Johnson. She’s excited to be able to go to preschool with her next month!

KEZIA:

-Kezia was a bit of a little trouble-maker this month. Some examples? She got out a carton of eggs and proceeded to drop them on the floor, she got a permanent marker and wrote on walls & doors, water messes outside and in, and a HUGE peanut better mess – all over the kitchen table, wall, floor, herself and on both dogs J Just to name a few. Mom’s hoping she calms down just a little bit next month.

-When we were in West Yellowstone, we went to a park there, and 2 girls (probably about 9 years old) just thought she was the cutest thing ever & followed her all around the park & helped her go down the slides & things.

-Kezi likes to simplify. Instead of saying “Barney the Dinosaur”, she says “Barneysaur!”

-One day were all saying Okey-Dokey. We told Kezia to say it, too. She was kind of grouchy & said “NO-key-Dokey!”

-Kezia loves to say “cheers!” with everything she eats & drinks.

-Kezia says “I don’t know” so cute. It comes out “I nowt!”

-Kezia loves to press the open door button on the van door. She will sit there & open & close that door all day if you let her.

-Kezi thinks she’s grown up now & refuses to sit in her booster chair. She wants to stand on a big girl chair instead.

-We’ve had to buy some more onesies just to keep this girl contained. The second she gets out of that onesie, her diaper is OFF & she doesn’t want to put it back on again! She likes to run around with a naked bum as much as possible.

-Kezia is growing so quickly! Can’t believe she’s almost two. There’s almost nothing she can’t say. We all LOVE to hear her sweet little voice as she says prayers, sings Twinkle, Twinkle, says please or thank you - or just talks to herself. She can be quite a handful sometimes, too, but we sure love our toe-headed Kezi-boo!