Snow Day

Stockton Lake trail

My aunt Ruth was out visiting from Arizona, so she got to join us & the Reisners.  Stockton Lake was flooded from all the rain that we've been getting so we only got to go so far.  

Stockton Lake with cousins

Stockton Lake with the Reisners. 

Ft. Walton Beach

There's this hotel in Fort Walton that is our favorite! We love it because not only is it beachfront, but it has a waterslide that my kids absolutely love! And we love it, because the pool isn't too large that you easily lose you child in the crowd. Not too big, not too small. Just right.

Royce's homecoming!

My little brother Royce has been in Ghana, Africa for the past two years serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We got to go to Arizona to be there for his arrival home! We all went to pioneer park for the kids to play since we had checked out of hotels and had some time before his flight got in. My kids loved it! Then it was a mad scramble to get to the airport! We actually underestimated how much time it would take to get to the airport, park, find the gate, etc. But luckily we made it and we eagerly watched for an elder wearing a baby blue suit coat jacket (which he had forewarned us he would be wearing). After welcoming Royce home, we headed up to the White Mountains. We made a few stops on the way up. I've traveled through Globe, AZ hundreds of times, and I've never seen signs for a "Besh Ba Go-wah". So we stopped and checked it out. It was cool. We also had to stop in Salt River Canyon and see the "honeymooners" crash up close and personal. We stayed in a nice airbnb in Pinetop-Lakeside and we had a Freestone family reunion. My kids instantly hit it off with cousins they'd never met. And we had fun participating in a talent show. That's me on the bottom mid-leap. Sadly, we didn't get to stay to hear his homecoming talk in church. The only flights were early Sunday morning. But we did make it home in time for 1 hour of church, followed by easter baskets that were "waiting" for us at home.

Spring day at Stockton Lake

Lake. Mud. Playground.

Liam's 9th birthday

Liam's 9th birthday! Cake and ice cream with cousins and grandma & grandpa. We went to Great Wolf Lodge for Liam's birthday. It was probably the first...and last time we will go...for several years at least. Too many little ones running off in complete opposite directions! Chad and me were outnumbered and the kids won. Sigh.

Christmas cookie decorating

Kyra & Sean's wedding

Kyra & Sean got married in the Kansas City temple over that Thanksgiving break. It was a beautiful ceremony.
 We got a lot of pictures while we waited for them to come out.
 When we tried to get some family pictures... Chaz was more cooperative volunteering to be in my sister's family picture, than he was ours. My siblings families were much more easily photographed. Grandkids picture- Oh, & we finally got one family photo that was quasi-normal. The sunset was gorgeous that evening!

Thanksgiving 2018

Our turkey day run.

Labor Day Cruise, DR & US Virgin Islands

We went on a cruise with the whole family for labor day.  We left out of Miami. Our kids are really good at making friends with strangers, especially Chaz who got awkwardly close to some man who was trying to relax in the pool while talking with his girlfriend.

Portland, OR, part 2

This was one of the favorite cousin activities- sword fighting!

Portland, OR, part 1

We got invited to go and attend the kids' cousin Landon's baptism. Things worked out so we could go and with my mother in law and her optimism cheering me on, I found myself booking a trip to Oregon...as the sole traveling parent...for nine days! After booking, I really began to second guess myself. 9 days alone away from home?! What was I thinking?! And then the day before going my kids got sick...all of them! Diarrhea and fevers. Now I really was second guessing my sanity! But, my mother in law, the eternal optimist pointed out that it was such a blessing that I booked 9 days! We would still have Call it insanity, but I planned a 9 day trip to Oregon...as the sole parent going! Eek! What's worse, is all of my kids got sick right before we were scheduled to go! Traveling with four kids alone is not very fun, but with sick kids is torture!

My fa's 88th birthday

Every April there's a big family party for my grandfather's birthday. Me, Sheena and Lynnae all flew in to surprise my grandfather. It was kinda a surprise. haha (The beans were spilled accidentally about Lynnae's arrival & word spread to everyone but my grandfather about me & Sheena). It was SOO fun!

I love my grandfather & our family! That plane ticket out there was the best money I've spent in a long time!

All of the granddaughters that could make it got a pedicure.