Our Kemchu

Kem's girlfriend Tasnim, bought Kem a ticket to come to Utah for his birthday.  

We kept it a secret from my mom, Nya and her family, and my kids.  They had NO idea that he was coming.  It was so fun to surprise everyone!!!

Kem finally met Vanessa, Nya and Rob's baby. 

We love that little baby! She's the sweetest.   

We had so much fun with our Kemchu.  It had been over a year since we had seen him. 

When Braden saw him, he did his happy dance.  It was priceless.  My mom and Nya cried.  Brielle couldn't stop hugging him.  He is just a light.  We were so happy to have him spend his birthday and a few days with us.  

I always love it when Kem is around 

because he goes around taking pictures and since I'm not the only one behind the camera I get to be in some pictures!:) 

Three generations.  

We headed to Park City to the Alpine slide.  It was so fun!!! I guess it is the longest slide in North America.  What made it extra fun was riding the ski lift to get up there.  The colors of the leaves were starting to change and it was a beautiful day.  

Brielle was so scared but when she reached the bottom she said how much fun she had and wanted to go up again!

I got to go by myself and my camera.  

We walked around Park City and rode the free trolley.  

We were sad that Nya and Rob couldn't join us that day...we missed them.  

Park City is such a cute little town to just walk around. 

Isn't my mom the cutest 61 year old ever? I love her.  

She is a beautiful lady! 

Kem always brings out the funny side in my kids! ha ha! 

We found big foot!!! 

We celebrated Kem's birthday on Sunday.  

Nya, Rob and Vanessita were able to come and Scott had the day off.  

We were finally all together.  

Happy Birthday to the best brother, son, and uncle anyone could ask for!!!!  

Since we were all together we HAD to do family pictures with all the grandkids.  

We took the tripod and took these.  

These pictures make me so happy for so many reasons...I've always known that I am so blessed to have the family I have but this time it really hit me how truly blessed 

I am to have the mother I have and two amazing siblings.  

My mother is my ultimate hero and has overcome so much adversity in her life 

and has done so with so much grace and dignity.  

She teaches me valuable lessons often and my conversations with her are something I treasure.  

She is so wise and possesses so much poise.  

During one of our conversations recently, we were discussing what it means to be brave. I remember growing up she often would say to us kids, "we have a problem, now we just need to confront it, keeping our heads up."  "Tenemos que ser valientes", she would say.  We need to be valiant.  All my life I heard these words, in different circumstances.  What strikes me as amazing and leaves me in awe, is that she wouldn't just say those words she lived by those words. 

She would make us sing one of her favorite hymns:

If the way be full of trial, weary not;

If it's one of sore denial weary not;

If it now be one of weeping,

There will come a joyous greeting.

When the harvest we are reaping, weary not

I am grateful that she confronted this country alone with three young children.  She gave up her social circle and her social status to give us a better emotional environment after my parent's divorce.  

I have never in my life known a more valiant woman.

She continues to give of herself, to her children and grandchildren.  

The legacy she has built and continues to build cannot be measured monetarily.  What she has done and continues to do for her children goes beyond mortal rewards or recognition.  

It makes me think of Neal A. Maxwell's quote: 

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sounds of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in home and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congress?"

I love these people in my life.  

It was sad to say goodbye and drive Kem to the airport.  

He enriches our life and makes us laugh, makes us think, and brings so much into our family.  

I am grateful we were given this time to be together! 

Thank you Tasnim!!! 

Around Here│Keeping up with life

School is in full swing and we have been back into our routine, which is great.  We are all trying to keep up with the demands of life, kids with school, homework and extracurricular activities, Scott with his second year of residency, Brooke's main job is to grow and make messes and keep me extra busy and me well...all I know is that at the end of the day I'm exhausted.  But life is good and I count my blessing every day.    

At the end of August, Brielle did a mini-cheer camp with her friend from school.  It was a lot of fun and kept her busy for a couple of weeks.  Then they had their big performance at the high school football game.  

I had forgotten what it was like to be around high school students...they have so much energy.  It was a fun experience for Brielle.  I like activities that give my children confidence and this mini-cheer camp did just that, and it didn't hurt that she did it with her good little friend from school.  

*****

Scott had a week off the first week of September and we headed to Idaho to go to the Idaho fair.  It was a spontaneous trip, we were totally planning for a staycation.  But Scott really wanted to go so we packed up and went.  We had such a great time and it's always so fun to spend time with Scott's family. 

The kids got to do the rides.  

The Ferris wheel seems so inoffensive but it scares me.  I am afraid of heights.

It's just so high up there!

Brielle and Braden wanted to do this little roller-coaster.  Brielle seemed to enjoy it for the first two rounds...

By the third round, she had had it! She wanted to get off so bad but it just kept going and going.  Poor little girl...but we couldn't stop laughing, it was pretty hilarious.  

I don't think she's a fan.

We had some fair food and played hard.  

It was such a fun day.  

Lanie, as always is the funnest aunt.  The kids loved hanging out with her while we were there.  

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Brooke and I spend a lot of time together while the older kids are in school.  

We often go on walks and she of course has to bring her stroller with her baby and pony.  

She is growing so much and talking so much...it still seems to me, that she should be little.  But she's not.  She is a two year old and no one can stop her from growing. 

She's a very good little mommy to her baby and pony.  She's a spunky little girl and is often making me laugh with the things she says.