Category Archives: sophia

Nov 24 2012

Temple Square

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Corey and I  have been wanting to take the kids to Temple Square in Salt Lake to see the Christmas lights for a long time.  The last time Corey and I saw the lights was December 1998.  That’s before we were married.  There is a lot that has changed on Temple Square since the last time we were there. We knew the kids would enjoy the beautiful lights.  The day after Thanksgiving was the best time that worked for our schedules. Although I don’t know if we would go at that time again.  Apparently as soon as it gets dark people come out of no where.  We spent most of the day exploring the buildings and all around temple square with very little congestion.  As soon as the lights came on we were shoulder to shoulder with all the people.  It got a little crazy trying to navigate through the crowds.   By the end of the evening we were tired and sore from walking.  On the way home we stopped at In-N-Out Burger and had dinner.  It wasn’t long after we got back on the road that the kids all fell asleep.  We really wore them out.

Inside model of the Salt Lake Temple.
Found in the South Gate visitor center.

Preston viewing a video of the different rooms in the temple

The kids on the temple steps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family in front of the temple

The old tabernacle

Levi in the Church history museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids in front of a life size model of the angel Moroni that is found on top of most LDS temples.

The nativity just outside the Tabernacle

Temple square before dark. Taken from the conference center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temple with the lights on

Temple with Christmas lights on.

A blue tree that Preston really liked

Nov 24 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

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We don’t have any family that lives close so sometimes Thanksgiving can be a hassle or a little depressing.  Not this year.  We have a couple of friends who also don’t have any family near.  We combined forces and had a big Thanksgiving feast.  We did this last year and thought that it turned out so well that we would do it again.  It turned out well with only one hitch.  I had a band-aid on before I started pulling the meat off the turkey but not after (eeewww).  I was freaking out that someone would find it in their food.  Reminded me of that friends episode when Monica looses a finger nail.  Anyway, we did find it later while cleaning up and it wasn’t in the food (yay).  We did have a good laugh over it.  What a great night.  Always so much better to spend the holiday with a large group of people. There was 21 in all.  Thanks Jennifer and Andrea for saving our Thanksgiving.

Carving the Turkey with Jennifer

Sitting around the table

Kid table

 

 

 

 

 

Little kid table.

We had quite the spread

Dessert. We had 6 yummy pies.

Nov 1 2012

Halloween 2012

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The pumpkin bunch

Hey!  Look at this I’m actually up to date on my post.  Anyway I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween.  This year we, as a family, decided to do a family costume theme.  So here is the story.

There are these two criminals at large.  Very dangerous.  They are wanted for grand theft, larceny, leaving the toilet seat up, and crimes against a pizza.  Their recent heist  was stealing a giant bag full of money.  Anyone who had information about these two are asked to contact the FBI.

FBI finally got the bad guys.

We had so much fun with this.  The boys were chased by numerous people trying to receive the reward.  We also had a lot of kids pretending that they were thrown in jail.  Harry Potter was a frequent guest in our jail along with “the Hulk”, a gangster, and the money bag herself.  Halloween is such a fun holiday.  It’s a time to step out of your shell and be who ever you want to be.  After the trunk or treat Preston went with his friends to trick or treat and came home with over 5 lbs of candy.  Sophia and Levi went with their dad around the block and got just about as much.  I hope this year will be a year they all remember.  We really had a great time.

Sophia and her daddy trick or treating (at our house.)

The super awesome FBI agents

A better view of the jail and Sophia being Sophia.

Oct 26 2012

Meadow Lake 2012

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Our campsite

After posting about the snow the other day it occurred to me that I haven’t posted for a long time.  So I decided that it was time for me to share our camping trip we had at Meadow Lake this year.  We went the first weekend of October.  It has become a tradition for us.  This is our third year.  This year was extremely cold.  As soon as the sun went behind the mountain until it rose up at 9:45 we huddled inside our sleeping bags in the trailer.  Once the sun was up we were able to move around and play.  Preston liked to go to the Lake and fish.  We spent a day in the ghost town of Gilmore.  Gilmore is an old mining town and we even found an old mine that was safe to explore.  On another expedition we hiked up the mountain and found a pond that was frozen over.  The boys tried to break the ice with rocks.  Yes, and when I say boys that means Corey too.  Even though we were freezing at night we had a lot of fun and created a bunch of memories.

Preston fishing by the lake

A fort Corey and I built for the kids

exploring the mining cave. It was so dark in there.

An old stove in one of the many run down mining houses.

part of the ghost town of Gilmore

The “boys” trying to break the ice

The Edwards Meadow Lake 2012

Oct 25 2012

SNOW!

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2 to 3 inches of snow this morning.

This is what we found when we woke up this morning.  Over night about 2 to 3 inches of snow fell.  The news says it’ll be gone by this evening.  I love the first snow fall of the year.  It is so beautiful and peaceful outside.  Sophia thinks it is now time for Santa to come.  She even stuck her head near the fireplace and shouted “come on Santa come already”.  The boys were excited to get their snow boots on and stomp through the snow to the bus stop.  We’ll enjoy it now and have some fun playing in it.  It’s not until February that I’m antsy for spring.

So beautiful and peaceful.

Sep 4 2012

First Day of School 2012

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I can’t believe it’s here.  We had a whirlwind of a summer.  School has begun!  It’s a bittersweet moment.  I really don’t like the tight schedule that school brings.  The early mornings and the homework.  I do, however, like the nice quiet that comes to our home.  This morning both boys got up excitedly and got themselves ready.  Preston so eager to get back to school where he can visit with his friends.  Levi so timid and a little hesitant.  He wanted me to take him (which I’m more than willing to do).  He was afraid he wouldn’t have anyone to sit next to on the bus.  Preston promised me he would sit with him.  So when the bus pulled up and they hopped on we didn’t expect the driver to send the older boys straight to the back and thus splitting up my boys.  The look on Levi’s face was heart breaking.  Preston wasn’t sure what to do.  I saw him moving up a little as the bus pulled away but I’m not sure if he was able to sit with Levi.  I really hope everything worked out. I just have Sophia home with me so sweet and quiet.  I’m not sure how we will fill our days but it’s going to be fun to spend more time with just her and I.

Preston starting 5th grade

Levi starting 2nd grade

tough little Sophia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On their way to the bus stop.

waiting for the bus. Can you see the anxiousness in Levi’s face

This is one member of the family who won’t miss the boys while they are at school.

Aug 17 2012

Wild Cats

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Grandma worked last night so we ended up spending the day with grandpa.  Grandpa decided to take us to a place just outside of Cave Junction called Wild Cats.  On the way we stopped at Kerbyville and looked at this shop that sells a bunch of wood carvings and had a lot of tree houses on the lot that the kids explored.  When we got to the cat park we got to see a lot of really cool cats.  The first one we saw was the lion.  It freaked me out a little because I didn’t expect them to be so close.  It’s a little unnerving when they roar.  Most of the pictures that are of the big cats aren’t zoomed that is actually how close they were.  My boys loved it.  Sophia got a little hot and tired and by the end of the day just wanted to go back to grandma’s pool.  It was pretty hot but every so often in the big cat park they had misters to stand in to help us cool off.  When we got home of course we spent an hour or so in the pool.  We had a really great day with grandpa.

The kids climbing up a tree house

Grandpa T. on the lower level and the boys on the middle level

Grandpa T. lower level while Levi is on the very top. So high!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophia and Levi posing silly.

Cool enclosed tree house with faces on it.

Leopard

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiger

White Tigers

Baby Leopard that we got to pet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snow Leopard

Very impressive Lion

Aug 16 2012

Over the river and through the woods

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Well we have finally made it to visit grandma and grandpa Tiffany.  After a 14 hour drive (split over two days) we arrived last Sunday to Grants Pass.  We have spent a lot of time in the swimming pool.  It has been in the triple digits while we have been here.  It has been nice to cool off in the pool.  Yesterday we chose to cool off a different way.  We went to the Oregon coast for the day.  What a difference in temperature.  It was only 61 degrees there while in Grants pass it was over 100.  We let the kids play in the water for a little while until Sophia got pummelled by a wave.  We then let them play in the sand but Sophia was shivering and we decided it would be good to head home.  I love this area and I have really missed it.  It’s been 2 years since the last time we were here.  I wish we could come more often. Better yet I wish we could live here.  For now I’ll just enjoy the time I have.

Stretching our legs at the Rouge River Gorge

Rogue River Gorge

It’s really hard to take a picture while you drive.
Notice the trees on both sides of the road. So pretty.
Crater Lake Highway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to swim

Levi Jumping in

Preston Jumping in

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having fun in the pool

Swimming

Staying nice and cool

 

 

 

 

 

Being silly on the beach

Playing in the ocean

Sophia after she took a tumble in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harris beach in Brookings Oregon

Jul 18 2012

4th of July 2012

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We have a tradition of going to the parade every year.  This year was no different.  The kids love the parade.  At one point in the parade a live band with drums and guitar went by and Levi just started rocking out.  Corey started to record unfortunately he missed the best part but still got a little snippet for you to enjoy.

After the parade we played and ate lunch with some friends at Gem Lake. We did this last year and I think it should become another of our traditions. Later in the evening we like to watch the fireworks. We usually go to a place off Skyline near our house but one of our friends invited us over to see them in their backyard. This was really fun too. Corey and I forgot the camera so no pictures of the fireworks this year. I love that even though we are far away from family we still feel like we have family close. The friends we have made in this neighbourhood are great. What a great way to celebrate our country’s birthday. Hope you all had a great 4th too.

Waiting for the parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our big group trying to squish in the shade

Jul 16 2012

Mesa Falls

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Upper Mesa Falls

The last weekend in June or first weekend of July, however you want to look at it,  we went camping up by Mesa Falls.  The falls were a beautiful site.  It was pretty crowded up there but well worth seeing.  They have an old log inn there that they have turned into a visitor center/gift shop.  I told Corey that someday I wouldn’t mind retiring in a log cabin like this.  We went through the visitor center and a park ranger gave the boys a booklet to look through that had a comic in it.  Afterward we walked the path that went by the waterfalls.  While everyone is looking at the falls Levi would find a bench and sit to read his comic.  He was so much more interested in what happened to smokey the bear than the beautiful scenery around him.  We had a really nice weekend.  We are so lucky to live near such beautiful areas.

Beautiful!

Levi and his comic

Really neat Inn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you see the Tetons in the back?

Love Sophia and Levi’s expressions here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent a couple of nights in this area and the next day we ended up hiking by Warm Springs.  They have an old fish hatchery that you can rent out and near there was a bunch of hiking trails.  We decided to hike a couple of miles (all Sophia can handle).  Have I mentioned how beautiful the area is?  This was a great weekend.  We had beautiful scenery accompanied by equally beautiful weather.  I love going camping.  It really helps me relax and get away from the world.

Hiking along Warm Springs

 

Taking a trail mix break

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grass is as high as Sophia

Family Photo at Lower Mesa Falls over look