The Simple Things

After weeks filled with worrying about "high stakes" things...we feel so grateful to just be able to enjoy the little things again. The local nursery gave out free tomato plants to children. The idea is that he's entered into a contest and at the end of summer we'll take in our biggest tomato to the nursery to have it "judged". Mostly it's a fun reason to have Nathan very involved in the planting/care taking process. He's just sure each morning when he peeks outside that "things are really growing out there".
Last weekend there was a "heritage festival" at the park near our home. Our favorite part was the pen filled with llamas, goats, and sheep. We got a little ice cream cone filled with "feed" that Nathan, Josh, and Greg took turns giving to the animals. Nathan has been dying to climb a tree...fortunately there's one in our "backyard" that "climbable". (The reality is that it's feasible for a strong dad to shove an eager boy up to the lowest branch.) The picture was an accomplishment for more than just Nathan!

Summer = Country Music

I couldn't help but change my music today. Things are really warming up around here and it's starting to feel like summer. I've realized that for some reason these early summer days always "hark me back" to days of being single and driving around Logan. I especially love memories of getting to ride with my older brother, John. He's the one who started in me the love for country music. Couldn't find the exact songs I was hoping for from times like those...but at least these country songs will give you the roll-down-your-windows, summertime feel that I've been feeling today.

Wedding Bells...

Greg's sister Chelsea is getting married to a great guy named Jon. It'll be happening the middle of next month in Utah...it's so nice to have such a great excuse to head home for a visit.

One of the fun things is that Jon and Chelsea actually grew up in the same stake in Michigan. Don't they make such a beautiful couple?!! We are just so excited for her...for both of them!

Friends We Miss!

Back Row Moms: Wendy, Miriam, Kristy, Jessica, Rachie.
Front Row Moms: Annika, Carolyn.
I'm just now getting a chance to go through a few of the last pictures we took before the move. These are two taken the week before we left when our dear friend Kristy had a little going away luncheon for us with some of our other favorite moms and kids. I can't look at these pictures for too long or I getting missing everyone too much!
Nathan and his great friend Jaden. Two peas in a pod!

Our Good Boys!

Whenever Nathans wear a helmet for biking riding...Joshua knows he needs something on his head for "stroller riding".


Nathan is becoming an expert bike-rider on the trails in the parks! The problem is that most of the tread in gone now on his back tire from all of his amazing last minute stops and downhill skids.

This move has been a little tricky for Nathan and Joshua. Routine is such a part of who we are, and it's certainly been lacking in the last few weeks! But Joshua shouts "my home" whenever we pull into the complex we live in. I think that's pretty good progress!

Our Home!

This is the "back door" of our townhouse. If you walk up the sidewalk...we're the door on the right. I'm standing next to our carport. If you enter through this door you're in the dining room/kitchen area.
This is our "front door". Most people end up coming through the "back door", but this is the one that faces the main road. Our door is the closest one you can see from the right. There are ducks that just live out in the grassy area. Joshua is getting pretty good at "quacking"!

Hello from Michigan!

We've made it to Michigan and FINALLY have an Internet connection! Hopefully this is the first of several posts in the coming days to start documenting our new life here! This is a picture of the park that is about a 3 minute walk from our home. We often see people fishing in the river! The trail that goes through the park actually runs from north of Rochester all the way down into downtown Detroit. The lush green is unbeatable! I'm so glad we got to move here in the Spring!

Hard to Say Goodbye!

Today was our last day in our ward. It's been a tender time. Greg and I were both released and got to bear our testimonies in sacrament meeting.

Some of the people we will miss the very most are our Grandma Rogers and Grandma Buck...two single sisters in our ward that have adopted and taken such good care of us. I wish we had a more recent picture to post, but just wanted to say how grateful we are for all they mean to us!

Grandma Rogers has taken especially good care of us these last few weeks. She's worked with Greg a few different times to fix our bunk beds and even took work off to stay with Joshua while Nathan got his tonsils out. We don't know what we'd have done without her!

These women are definitely one of the greatest gifts we've received while living here!

A Package from Gran and Papa!

We were so excited to get a package from our Gran and Papa in East Malaysia! Nathan and Joshua are wearing shirts with the capital city, Kuching, on them. Kuching means "cat". You'll see in pictures below that Nathan has declared this his lucky bowling shirt!

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's SUPERMAN!

Nathan found his Superman cape the other day and figured out that to really make the cape fly behind you just right...you need to be going pretty fast. He then decided true speed is best achieved while riding your bike.

Please appreciate the red, rippling cape in the following pictures.

Have you ever seen a more lovable boy?!

(These pictures and the bowling ones were taken just before Nathan got his tonsils out. I'm just playing a little bit of catch up!)