Daniel Hulses Priesthood ordination.

On Friday the 20th, We went to Prescott because Daniel was being ordinained to the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday after church. On Saturday we all went to the mall. (Except for Michael and Daniel who were at a Boy Scout outing) We left Adam and Caleb to watch Eric at the indoor playground, while we girls went with Megan while she got her ears pierced.
When we came back from the little shop where megan got her ears pierced, Caleb and Eric were still at the playground, but Adam was no where in sight! After a little bit of looking around, we found him getting his feet rubbed in a little massage SHOP! He looked so sheepish when we finally found him! It was so funny!
On Saturday night all the cousins (except Eric) went to a fireside together.
Daniel's ordination on Sunday was really Great! We enjoyed the weekend with family!

First snowmobile ride of the SEASON!

Monday January 16th was Martin Luther King Jr day, so the kids didn't have school.
We decided to spend the day together so we all went with Adam on the route then pulled off the road by Green's Peak, unloaded the Snowmobiles and went for a ride! We hadn't gone very far when we came upon a family who's truck was completely stuck in the Snow. It took about an hour of digging and and pulling with the Snowmobiles to get them out, but we did it. It felt great to give them a hand!
Once we got on our way again, we had a wonderful time riding. The snow and weather were perfect. We rode for a bit to a hill where we stopped and did a little sledding and snowboarding. I don't always enjoy snowmobiling, but that ride was just so fun!

Cold Boys, Cool Girls

On the weekend of January 15th, Adam and Caleb went to the annual Boy Scout Klondike Campout. It's a snow campout that the boys in our ward go to every year. The only problem was that this year, there was no SNOW! It sounds like it was still pretty cold there, but they had a good time anyway. 
With the boys gone, the girls decided they wanted to have some friends over for a "Non- sleepover". Basically, it would be all the fun of a sleepover, without having the girls actually sleepover! They invited six friends over and watched "Once I was a Beehive", played a Mafia, and had a little dance party! The girls all got along great and had a fun time together!
I'm grateful that the Trio have great friends.

New Years Eve

We had a BLAST partying with the Carpenters on New Years eve! We had pizza, and tons of other yummy food. We played a super funny game where we had to guess what we were all saying with these crazy things in our mouths. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! The kids watched a movie while the rest of us should played rook until it was time to ring in the new year. Elana opened a bottle of sparkling cider and we all toasted to a great new year.

2016 was an amazing year for our family. 

Adam built and sold quite a few spec. homes, and his Grading and excavating Business continues to be successful. My preschool is a huge blessing and helped us afford to travel the country on the most epic road trip ever! The trio continue to grow stronger and healthy and have all had much success thru out the year.  We are grateful to our Heavenly Father who has blessed us with so much this year and every year!

Christmas

We had another wonderful Christmas this Year!
On the Tuesday before Christmas, Cousin Elana made and served us an awesome dinner. We decorated Gingerbread houses, and played a fun gift pass around game.

On Thursday the 22nd, we took our family out to eat at Charlie Clarks Steak house, then over to Show Low to watch "The Forgotten Carols". The show was beautifully done. All of the performers did an amazing job and we the spirit of Christmas filled each of us. When we left, Eliza said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I like Forgotten Carols more than Wicked!" (If you know how much Eliza loves "Wicked" you know that that was quite the compliment)

On Friday the 23rd we invited the Solomons over to watch "Elf" with us. It's one of our favorite Christmas movies. It had all of us laughing out loud!

Christmas Eve was a peaceful quiet day at home for us. We watched some more of our favorite Christmas movies and just spent time together getting the house tidied up and ready for Christmas. It began snowing late in the evening and we were excited to know that we'd have a white Christmas!

We woke up early on Christmas day and opened our gifts. Then, we got ready for church and enjoyed a wonderful Sacrament meeting. We loved singing and listening to sacred Christmas Carols with our ward family. When church was over, I made some rolls to take down to the valley and we loaded up and drove down to Mesa to spend some time with our families. Our first stop was the Anderson home where we saw most of the Gurrs and were able to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Then, we went to Ben's house where most of the Quist family was gathered. We had a delicious dinner and fun visit with everyone. 

We stayed the night in Mesa, and the following morning Adam and Eliza and Caleb headed to the sand dunes near Yuma to buggy ride with several members of the Gurr Family. They had a great time riding and playing in the sand and thank goodness no one was injured! It sounded like there were some close calls, but it didn't stop them from having FUN!

Sarah and I went to Prescott to be with the Hulses for a few days. We played games, did some shopping, went out to eat and put together puzzles. We loved it! 

The Thursday following Christmas, we all met up again in Florence to visit with Malorie and the Dodds Family who were visiting from out of state. Grandpa Gurr treated us all to Amazing Jakes on Thursday night. Afterwards, we got together at Richard and Calli's house for a white elephant Gift exchange party.

 On Friday morning we went for a buggy Ride and that evening had a fun date night with some of Adam's siblings and their Spouses. It was really fun. 

We left Florence early Saturday morning to attend the funeral of my uncle Vic Wilson. We were sad, knowing that he'll be missed by his loved ones, but we rejoice in the knowledge of the plan of Salvation and knowing that Vic will live again and be reunited with his family again. It was a perfect way to end the Christmas season. It served as a reminder of why we celebrate the Birth of our Savior. Because he was born, and showed us how to live, and died for us and was resurrected, all mankind has the power to break the bonds of death and live eternally with their loved ones again! And that's worth celebrating.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! December 12th

On the 12th we celebrated the Trio's 13th birthday. Their birthday was on a Monday so I was able to deliver a pizza to each of them to share with their friends during lunch at school.  When they came home from school, they found that the Carpenters had "Heart Attacked" their bedroom doors! They loved it! It was our Family's turn to help clean the church that evening so we went and cleaned. I was so proud of how cheerful the kids were, considering they were cleaning the church on their birthday! After cleaning we went out to eat at Trappers in Taylor, then went to Dairy Queen for dessert. We got home and they opened their presents which included new rip-sticks, pj's, a new game and a few other fun things.
Having three teenagers in our home is so fun! We love Eliza, Sarah And Caleb so much and are so proud of them! They really are the greatest children a parent could hope for!

Thanksgiving Weekend November 24th-26

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with the Quist family this year. We stayed at my parents house, and went over to Paul and Beth's house for a wonderful feast with my parents, Grandma and Grandpa Burk, most of my siblings and Nathan and Valerie's family. It was so much fun and the food was great!

The day after Thanksgiving we went on a buggy ride up Four Peaks with the Hulses. The views were incredible and we all loved it.

Saturday was spent going on more buggy rides with more of my siblings in the morning and then we headed back home to Taylor that afternoon. 
We have so much to be grateful for, most of all for our wonderful families whom we have so much fun with and get to make so many wonderful memories with. We are especially thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ who's atonement has made it possible for our family bonds to continue beyond this life and thru out eternity.

Braxton's Baptism and Gurr Reunion, October 15th

Saturday October 15th was a busy and fun day. We began the day at Braxton Quist's Baptism. It was a blessing to witness my nephew enter the waters of baptism with his father, my brother Ben, and be baptized into the Jesus Christ’s church. It was great to see so much family there to support him.

After the baptism, we drove out to Chandler to enjoy some time with the Gurrs for a little "Mini Reunion" at a trampoline park. The kids loved the obstacle course and jumping all over the place with their cousins. Afterwards, Grandpa Gurr treated us all to pizza at Peter Pipper Pizza. 
What a fun day it was for everyone!

Choir Concert, October 11th

The trio preformed in their first choir concert on October 11th. The girls are in a combined 7th and 8th grade women's choir. Caleb in in the 7th grade choir. Both choirs did a wonderful job! Adam and I were so impressed with how great they sounded. The pictures aren't the greatest quality, but we're glad we got a couple shots of the kids preforming.

Mom's Birthday, October 8th

For my birthday his year, we enjoyed a fun visit from my cousin Nathan and his sweet family. We played lots of games and Adam took Nathan and some of the kids on a buggy ride. The weather was absolutely amazing! After the Johnsons left, Adam's brother Richard came over with his family and we had pizza and played a fun game called Quiplash! We sure love spending time with Family!

The Carpenters

This Summer Adam's cousin Elana moved with her Husband Cliff, and children Lincoln and Azelea to Show Low, AZ. Show Low is just a 20 minute drive from our house. Since they've moved here , we've been able to get together on an almost weekly basis to play games, watch movies, have cookouts, and do projects. We feel So blessed to have their wonderful family so close. In the short time since they moved here, they have become some of our our best friends!  These picture was taken at a buggy ride we took in September to Knuckle Head canyon.

Labor day weekend September 2nd

Travis and Becky brought their family up for a visit on Labor day weekend. We always have so much fun with them. Calli and Richard were up staying in Shumway that weekend too and Tyler and his boys stayed with them. We love the times we get to spend with family. We watched the Sweetcorn parade and rode buggies and played games. We also had a cookout and bone fire and made s'mores!  as usual I should have taken more pictures, but was just having to much fun!