Summer Family Vacation 2010 while moving to Maine

Who says that moving across the country can't be fun?!.....well....We decided to make a family vacation out of our move. The driving was long and wasn't so fun, but the time we spent with family and friends and sightseeing was loads of fun! If only we could have visited more and stayed longer, it woul dhave been even more perfect! There were a lot of very late nights and early mornings (mainly for me, so I could at least sneek in a shower). This post has a massive amount of pictures in it and you may totally get sick of looking at us. But I wanted to get them posted on her so we can remember the fun we had! And most every picture of me....yeah, yucky, travel, humidity straight blah hair!

We left on Saturday, May 29th at about 9 am after getting some breakfast at the hotel. We had stayed at the house until after midnight to get it cleaned and in tip top shape! We had originally planned to leave on Sunday, but since the packers and movers got done early, we got a head start. That enabled us to stay longer in MO with my sisters.

I only took 3 pictures on moving day. Zach was concerned about his mountain bike, so he was taking care of it for the movers.

We left our home in Chandler, AZ and drove to Tucumcari, NM that first day. We already missed all of our wonderful friends in AZ. We had a wonderful ward and wonderful people around us. We really enjoyed the home and neighborhood we were in. The kids had some tears, mainly Chloe, from missing their friends. Zach had a really great friend, Alex, in the neighborhood the he has really missed. We wish we could have spent more time with them!

We stayed the night in a hotel and then headed to Kansas City, MO. It really was so great to be home where I grew up. Not at my parents home since they no longer live there, but just home. Home to familiarity, home to family, home to where I want to return some day, and home to the green! The AZ desert has its beauty, but oh, how I love the green! It truly is theraputic for me to sit outside and listen to the leaves rustle in the wind and watch the birds (carnials) fly by and smell the air after a rainstorm! Oh, I love it!

We then spent all of Monday with my sisters, Marci and Julianne and their adorable families! Thanks, Marci for letting us hang out at your place and thanks, Julianne for driving all the way down from Nebraska for the day to see us! We love you and miss you both! Growing up in an area rich in church history, I have been to most all of the sites. But, Chris hasn't gotten to go and we really wanted to take our children too. So since there were so many spots to hit along the way (that's what happens when you move so far!), we decided to go to as many as we could. Monday, Memorial Day, we went to Adam-Ondi-Ahman. After enjoying the peacefulness there and each others company, we headed back to Marci's house to let the cousins play and hang out for a bit.This is the valley behind Chris and Zach. Beautiful, quite and serene (until 7 extra kids showed up! Ours!!)

Marci. She is a fabulous friend to me and a wonderful mother! (kids: Morgan, Owen and baby Ruth)

Chloe and Morgan being silly and hooked at the hips! Zach and Morgan, on the other hand...well, let's just say they should be siblings! They totally act like it!Parker is IN LOVE with baby Ruthie!!! He wouldn't stop kissing and hugging her! He was so gentle and so loving with her. It was adorable!Owey - being his cute self!!Julianne. Beautiful and quite funny and a fabulous sister too!! (all my sisters are quite fabulous!) She loves her little Sammy pants so much and is a fabulous mother as well! (kid: Sam)Random pictures...Owey and Sammy-pants lovin' each other! Owen was trying his best to help Parker stand up... Tuesday morning, we drove over to Liberty, MO to visit the Liberty Jail. That is always a humbling experience every time I go. The spirit was felt by all of us, even the kids.

After spending some time in MO, I have a renewed appreciation for the area in which I grew up in. It is truly beautiful and so special. The rolling hills and the green trees and grass are just fabulous!

We then drove to Plainfield, IN. We got in late, but made a stop in at our good friends, Roger and Terri Turner's house. So fun to see them! We then spent the next day hanging out in our old neighborhood with my best friend Carrie (who lives in that neighborhood)and her family. We went and visited friends in town (wish we could have seen more!) and then had a great dinner at Carrie's house with our families and my other best friend, TJ and her family. Oh, how I love those two!! They truly are one of a kind friends and we can just totally laugh and laugh when we are together. I can't wait for them to come visit me....hint!! Here are some pictures of our day together...

Taking a walk on the trail behind the neighborhood while Chris caught up on his sleep. The kids and I used to ride our bikes on this trail all the time, so it was a lot of fun to be walking on it again. Brought back many good memories of our time in Indiana.

Chloe and Nissa Chloe thinks this "mad" picture is so funny... (she wasn't really mad) I sure wish they could play together all the time! What buds!!

Carrie, Boden and Parker

Seriously, when did he grow up!?

TJ, with her new little darling baby, Livia! Oh, she is precious! I wish I could hold her again while she is tiny! Too bad I moved away from AZ a week before TJ moved back to AZ!! Seriously...how crappy is that!! Many tears shed!!Sweaty-head, Evan. Man, he is so cute and so much fun! I loved to squish him! I remember squishing him when he was just a baby! He and Chloe are 4 days apart!

Zach and IN best neighborhood buddy, Connor. They got to play together most of the day!

TJ, Carrie and me (please pay no attention to the dreadfully awful hair!!) I miss you guys!

Our next stop was Buffalo, NY, with a couple stops in Ohio along the way. We decided to drive past the house I lived in in Akron, OH when I was about 1. We moved from that house to Blue Springs, MO when I was about 3. I then stayed in that MO house until I went to college! (This picture is mainly for my parents b/c this is their very first house!) The only thing I remember about this house is that we had a bunny in the backyard. I remember playing with it and then remember that it got loose and ran away. The next stop was a tour of the Kirtland Temple, built by the early saints in Kirtland, OH. It is no longer owned and operated by the church and you can take a tour of it.

Taking random pictures in the gardens...

After getting in very late to Buffalo, NY, we got up early and headed to Niagara Falls and Horseshoe Falls. Talk about beautiful!!!!

The next stop we made that day was in Palmyra, NY. We visited the home of Joseph Smith's childhood home which was a very small log cabin. (this is a replica, but built in the exact spot the original was built)Joseph Smith's father owned 100 acres and so they decided to build a larger home just down the road. After loosing the title to their home, they then moved back to the small log cabin. (this is 85% original)

This is Brigham Young's father's grain threshing barn that was moved piece by piece from upstate NY to the Smith Farm for historic preservation.

This is the cooper shop where Joseph Smith hid the gold plates to keep them out of the hands of mob men.

The next place on the tour was The Sacred Grove. (if you haven't clicked on any of the hyperlinks I have put up, at least click on this one. It is short - I promise)

I remember coming to the Sacred Grove when I was 16 on our family vacation. I remember walking through those woods and feeling the Spirit so incredibly strong. It is a sacred place and a place that holds such a sacred spot in my heart. Because a 14 year old boy decided to pray and ask God which church to join, we now have this wonderful Gospel restored. I am grateful to him and grateful to my Savior.

It was a different experience this time walking through it as a mother. Although I couldn't just focus on myself and my own feelings and thoughts like I could when I was 16, I felt the Spirit with the same intensity, nonetheless. It is a beautiful place!

We then drove up the hill to see the new Palmyra Temple. You can see it poking through the trees from the Smith Farm. It overlooks the Sacred Grove. President Hinckley (prophet at the time) directed the three front windows of the temple to remain clear instead of frosted so that you could look out them and see the Sacred Grove.

We then drove up the hill to the Hill Cumorah monument.

After driving close to 3,000 miles....we made it to Maine!!!! Whew!!! What a week! Maine is gorgeous and the people here are extremely friendly! We moved into a great neighborhood that has lots of kids and fun things to do. After unpacking for 4 days straight and going stir-crazy, I took the kids to the beach about 3-4 miles down the road. We met up with some new neighbors we had met and had a great time. It is in an inlet, so the water is very calm - great for little kids! Hopefully things will get settled in around here really soon and we can enjoy the time we have here in Maine!

Chloe's preschool graduation...(catching up)

Chloe had a fabulous preschool this past year! Candy Harris in our ward taught nine little 3 and 4 year olds for 4 hours, 2 days a week! What talent she has!! She was absolutely wonderful and Chloe learned SO much and had SO much fun!! There were a lot of other kids from our ward in her class, so that made it even funner!Chloe is writing her name, letters, small words and also starting to sound out words. She is a smart and beautiful little girl and I am glad she could have so much fun this year in school.

At her graduation, her class performed most of the songs they learned throughout the year! Ms. Candy had Chloe sing, I Am Like A Star, all by herself! She did a fabulous job!!!!

Chloe is our little ball of sunshine! She is the friendliest little thing you have ever met and is also very compassionate. She loves people and loves to be a helper. She still sings or talks ALL day long and is great at keeping me company! I am glad she has one more year here at home with me before heading off to kindergarten. I am already getting sad about the thought of not having her here with me. What will I do? She literally talks to me all day!! Well, maybe Parker will have learned the ropes and will pick up right were she leaves off!

We love you, Chloe! Good job this year learning so much! You are a wonderful daughter and we are so happy you are in our family!

The Grand Canyon

Just a few pictures from our quick trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon on Saturday. It was beautiful!! We left early in the morning and got back late at night. Every time we had it planned to go up there, something got in the way. So, since the packers and moving truck come this week, we decided it was now or never (or at least not for a very long time).

House hunting trip...

Portland Head Light

Here are a few pictures from our house hunting trip to Portland, Maine. It is beautiful out there and the air was crisp and clean. We are excited for the adventures that await our family! The "locals" we met told us how to get through the winter....just find an outdoor activity (like snow shoeing or cross country skiing) that you enjoy and get out often! Brrrrr.....but sounds fun!! After a frustrating day and a half of house hunting with no luck, we decided we needed to get some fresh air and decompress for a bit. We didn't have anymore appointments for the day. Chris wanted to take me on a nice date that evening. First we went to the Portland Head Light, which from what I have read, is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. After thoroughly enjoying our time there, we went downtown for dinner. Chris took me to a really cool restaraunt on an old ferry boat. I was even brave enough to try lobster and crab! It was a great evening and I can't wait to do it again! (hint, hint!!) And here it is....our home for the next couple years! Typical salt-box style house in New England - not the most attractive outside, but all redone on the inside. It will be a good house for our family. We are right by the coast so there are beaches super close! Anyone up for a trip to Maine?!!

While out in the countryside before looking at what we call "Uncle Tom's cabin" (long story), we drove by this super old cemetary and Chris just had to go look. He found a headstone that dated 1806 on it! There were also stone walls surrounding the fields around the area from way long ago. Chris was thrilled to see the walls again because it reminded him of his mission here in New England. It was neat and I was in love with the beautiful trees!! The sound of the wind rustling the leaves was heavenly. I have missed that living here in Arizona.

Sick of pictures of us yet? Sorry...we don't remember to take pictures of us very often, so I had to document them!

That's my boy!!!

I totally remember 4th grade!! I really do! I remember the friends I had and the start of who's cool and who's not. That part I didn't like about 4th grade. And to think that now my very own handsome boy has only one week left of 4th grade.....OH, I am getting old! How did he get so big so fast?!

Zach and Mrs. Barz - She has been a fabulous teacher for him this year!!!

Thursday night, his class and one other class put on a play about the Westward Movement. Zach got a speaking part as a buisnessman and did a fabulous job! My motherly pride swelled as I watched him perform his memorized parts. He did great!!! (Too bad my camera didn't! It's new and I am still figuring it out.)

Zach has done so well this year and has really grown and developed quite a lot. He has been on the Honor Roll and for most of the year. He has really developed a love for reading and can read a 500+ page book in less than a week! He is awesome and a totally smart little dude! We are quite the lucky parents to have him as our son!

Awesome job, Zach!! We love you!!!

You'd Think We Were In The Army

(FYI...Since this post some how got posted before I was actually done...I will finish it by summing up the trip....It was a success. We found a home to move into and we made it home after a very long day of travel to find the kids happy and lovely, all thanks to my wonderful mother who takes such good care of them. Thanks, MOM!!! We love you so much and miss you all ready. The movers come next week to pack us and we head out the first week in June! Yikes....so quick!!! (normal for us though...) I will post pictures after I get them downloaded on my computer.)

Have you ever wanted to travel the country and see different sights and experience different cultures? When I was growing up, I lived in the same house and same town since I was about 2 or 3. I lived there until I went to college at 18 years old.

I think I was a little naive when getting married (about a lot of things, actually) that the profession Chris was going to school for would not keep me in the same place. Construction Management - you go where the jobs are. Yeah, I guess that didn't quite click in my mind. It has taken a while for it to click, to be honest.

Moving can be kind of rough on my mental state for a bit. Maybe that is partly due to the fact that we have moved 5-7 weeks before I gave birth to 3 out of our 4 kids! That really wasn't fun being so pregnant and moving. Luckily, we were blessed with movers for most of our moves, so that took a huge burden off my shoulders. But, I guess it was probably easier moving with a baby inside of me than one extra kid to take care of while moving and unpacking.

So...as you may have guessed by the topic of this post...yes, we are moving again! And no - I am not even pregnant this time!! Fabulous!!! I may be able to get things unpacked in a few weeks instead of 6 months (or longer!!). Chris has accepted a job in Portland, Maine and starts the first week of June. Yep, we are once again quickly getting things figured out to be able to get out there when we need to.

Chris and I are actually on our way home right now from a house hunting trip. I cried multiple times on the way here and during the trip because I miss my kids - A LOT! This was my first time being away from Parker and I think it was only the second time being away from Chloe. They wonderful, fabulous thing was that my mom was able to come out and be with them the entire time we were gone. They have had a fabulous time with her! Trips to the park, baking with Grandma, and just having lots of fun! I think my mom will be wiped out after chasing Parker-pants around everywhere!

The trip was....well, stressful. But we did manage to take some breaks and enjoy ourselves. Chris took me on a nice date on Friday (since we didn't have any appts.). We went to the Portland Head Light, which was beautiful. Then went to dinner at DiMillo's Floating Restaraunt and I was brave enough to try crab and lobster. It was a yummy dinner and we enjoyed our time together very much.