Family Home Evening: Vernal Temple

We decided it would be good to take the boys to the Vernal Temple grounds for Family Home Evening.  Both Samuel and Jack have been very curious and asking a lot of questions about church, Jesus, Heavenly Father and the temple.  When I told the boys that we were going to go walk around outside of the temple Jack put his hands together and exclaimed "hurrah I get to see Jesus!"  It was one of the sweetest things I have ever heard!  Then Samuel said he wanted to go inside the temple.  I tried to explain that when he is 12 years old he can go and do baptisms for the dead.  The boys had a great time at the temple grounds.  They kept saying "it's locked....I have an idea why don't we use your keys to open it?!"  The boys mostly wanted to run around and explore things.  When we got in the van to go home Jack said he wanted to go in the temple.  Jake then explained when he is 12 years old he can get a special paper with permission on it that will allow him to go in. The whole way home he kept repeating I want a permission paper I want a permission paper!  

It was a nice experience to take our kids to the temple grounds for Family Home Evening. Even though they were running around crazy I know they felt their Heavenly Fathers and Jesus there with them!  I feel so blessed to be sealed to my parents and siblings and now to my husband and children.  What a wonderful and special blessings temples are!

Petting and Riding Horses

We were taking a drive up Dry Fork Canyon one day and stopped to talk to one of the guys that works for Utah State up here.  He lives up the canyon and was nice enough to let the boys pet, feed and ride the horses.  The boys were quite timid at first.  I am sure because from afar the horses don't look very big but close up they look huge!  After a few minutes the boys got more comfortable with them and loved feeding them pellets and hay.  They even got to sit on one horse and ride her for a minute!  Sometimes I wonder if Jack keeps up his love of horses we may end up owning one of these someday!

Cookout in the Mountains!

The past two weekends we have gone up in the mountains to have a cookout and roast hot dogs and smores.  Last weekend our neighbors invited us to go with them.  The kids had a blast all exploring, playing and getting dirty together.  We had so much fun Jake asked me if I wanted to go do it again.   So last night we packed up and headed up to the mountains.  The boys always have to be busy doing something.  They were constantly finding sticks, trying to help daddy with the campfire, trying to follow fur from a deer or elk, throwing rocks and garbage into the fire, playing in the dirt, helping daddy cut logs, trying to cut tress down with sticks and roasting hot dogs, marshmallows and making smores.  

Everyone had fun, including Ava.  I had forgotten to bring either the front carrier or the backpack so I had to either hold her or put her in the car seat.  There was one time I had put her in the car seat and she managed to wiggle herself out.  That is nothing new as she has been doing this for a while.  The funny thing about it was that she wiggled herself out and fell out perfectly right onto her bum so she was sitting right up.  The boys thought it was pretty funny that she fell out and was sitting in the dirt.  

One of the highlights of the night was that we were just starting to drive away from the campsite when we saw an animal just off the side of the road.  At first we couldn't tell what it was but as we got closer we saw that it was a black bear.  I have never seen a bear before and the boys thought is was great to see a bear.  Jack then asked "Can we find another bear?"  Since living here in Vernal we have seen many deer, elks, cows and horses but it was the first time seeing a bear.   Seeing the bear makes me a little nervous to camp overnight with the kids!  

I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have had to be in Vernal and for all the wonderful things our Father in Heaven has given us, including the beautiful nature that surrounds us.         

Brothers....Best Friends

I love having the boys 18 months apart.  They are the best of friends......most of the time!  I came downstairs to find Sam with his arm around his brother as they were watching a movie.   It is so nice to see they are such good friends with each other!  The last picture was from their shower tonight.  They decided to sit down on the edge of the tub and sing about spongebob.   I love how you can see their backs and their bums!  So adorable!