We're Back!

Ummm...so it's been forever...be prepared for update overload! :) You probably won't want to even read it all but I didn't want to leave anything out.

The last few months have been pretty good to us. We have had some ups and some downs...LIFE!

We will start with the downs, which both happened in February. Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mary (Levi's grandparents on his moms side) both passed away 17 days apart. It was hard to say goodbye but we know they are together and happy!

Last picture with Grandma Mary.
Pics from Grandma and Grandpas graveside services.

The boys! It was so good to see Josh! He flew in from Boston for Grandmas funeral.

Decorating cookies for Valentines!
We stayed the night in a lodge and spent Valentines Day in Zions.

Annual Campout during Spring Break. This year was SO MUCH fun, as always! We had the kids split into teams for a wash shoe tournament. Then they made a team name and made their own shirts. Then they had skits each night, we played family feud, rode 4 wheelers, played lots of games, and sang around the campfire. Such good MEMORIES!

Dirt Angel!

March was time for celebration!!! Lindsay, Allie and Payton came home for Eastons birthday and Brocs homecoming. We got to go to Vegas to pick them up and it was so fun to see them and have them here all summer! They spent lots of time together and we were so sad to send them back to Alabama. :(


Easton's bday was so much fun! During the day we took Easton to Fiesta Fun and he played games and got to drive his own car. Then he picked out some fun toys with the coupons he won.
We had his party at the Santa Clara Park. We had a good turn out of family and friends! He still talks about it and asks when he gets to have another one. :) We did a Mario theme cause he is so obsessed with his cousins DS's. So we got him one for his bday and this was his cake. It is Mario jumping. A little crazy but it was fun!
He loves his DS. He would play all day so we have to set limits!


It was so much fun to get Broc home from Madagascar! He got home mid March and just got engaged to Erin Wade last week. They dated before the mission and they are just too cute together. We are so excited to have her as a part of our family.

The sign says, "I do not speak Malagasy." (Brocs language) YES, we know we are nerds!
He proposed in the mall while it was closed in front of family and friends while their song played in the background. It was so cute!

Broc and Erin

Easter Egg Hunt

All the cousins!

Thank you Easter Bunny. :)

He got the bubble gun in his basket. It was the best thing he got. Seriously millions of bubbles!

A day in Zions! We just went up after church one day and spent the day. It was so nice up there.


In May we moved into a new house out by the mall. It is nice being in town and so close to everything, but a part of me misses sweet quiet little Santa Clara. Also in May our friend, Jon, moved to St. George to live with us. He is from Maryland and was a troubled teen at the Academy we worked at in Kansas. We have stayed in touch for years and he finally made his way out to Utah. It has been such a good thing for him and we are SOOOO proud of the way he has changed his life! He has now moved out with some friends, has a really good job and we still see him or talk to him weekly.

Camping in Red Cliffs in May

Jon and Easton

I also got to go to the New Kids on the Block concert in May. It was seriously so much fun! I went with Carlie, Cami and Cami's friend, Becky.
We had floor seats so we were so close!

There was a party at a club for all the people that had tickets to the concert and New Kids were going to be there, but a limited number of people would get in so we decided to try and find something else to do. While we were waiting for our car from valet Jon Knight walked out of the casino and so we went over and talked to him (just us and him) in the parking lot for about 10 minutes. He was way down to earth and easy to talk to. He just wanted to make sure we liked the show. Ummm...of course we liked it. :)

Random days in Milford. We like to go spend time with the Mayer family and Skyler and Austin. Also they have a dirt bike track that Levi likes to go ride on. We always have so much fun there. Games, good food, relaxing, and fun peoples.

In June we tubed the Virgin river with Sky and Austin and hiked Grapevine Springs in Zions. Both were soooo much fun!

All ready to go tubing!

Grapevine Springs

We also got to go stay at Dallas and Jessicas families cabin in June. It was all of Dallas's family and us. They were so much fun to be with and we just felt like a part of the family.

We all caught tons of fish.

The kids couldn't stop watching Grandpa Ron gut the fish.


All summer we have been so spoiled by the Griffins! They have taken us out on their boat so many times we have lost count. It is always a blast and we LOVE spending time with them! They have definitely helped Levi and I improve our wakeboarding skills. :)

Levi

Dallas

Jessica

Lacy

Eastons favorite part is driving.

Drake

The Winsors got to come with us one time.
The boys tubing. They actually landed this one.

Day at the lake with Ty Char and Meadow

We spent another 4th of July in Delta and we loved it just as much as last year. Definite tradition! Everyone should try it at least once. We went to the parade, bbq'd at Tiff and Brians house, went to the demolition derby, and stayed in a hotel that night.




The next morning we drove up to Salt Lake to surprise Ma and Pa Salazar and Lacee and Robbie. (They all moved up to Salt Lake in March and we have missed them so much.) They had no idea we were coming so we parked far away, Levi and I hid and Easton went and knocked on their doors. It was so funny to hear and see their reactions. We got to see Lacee Jaes baby, Lincoln, for the first time. He is so ADORABLE!


At the end of July into August was the Richins reunion. The weather was perfect and it is always so good to get with all of the extended family. It is SAD to say, but this will be the last year! :( I am so glad that we have had this tradition so long. We have so many good memories at Smith and Morehouse. On the way home we stopped in Salt Lake for Lincolns blessing.


Ready for the Fairy Hunt (hidden candy throughout the whole camp for all the single peeps)

Easton and the Winsor kids. I seriously LOVE this pic!

The boys would cook their fish on the grill everynight and eat eyeballs and all. So GROSS! I love how they are all just crouched down hovering over the food. SAVAGES! :)

Feeding the potguts by hand

My birthday was great this year! Levi threw a surprise party for me at Skys new house and he invited all of our friends that live around here. It was so much fun! Thanks hon!

Family photo! HAHA!

Every year my mom takes one of the siblings and their family to Yellowstone to the Turners cabin and this year it was mine and Levis turn. We stayed at Little Grandmas the first night and went to Lagoon with Ty, Char, Meadow, and Brooklynn the next day. It was Eastons first time to a them park (besides Sea World when he was 1 and doesn't remember) so it was so much FUN! He went on every ride that he was tall enough to ride on and loved every minute of it.





Then we got up the next day and drove to Island Park. We stayed in Yellowstone for 5 days. All of the Turners were there and it was good to see all of them. We went to Old Faithful, Firehole River (such a favorite), Mammoth Hot Springs, tubed the Snake River, saw the play Beauty and the Beast (which was ABSOLUTELY amazing!) and went to Bear World on the way home. We stayed in Salt Lake with Ma and Pa Salazars that night and then headed back to good ol' St. George. It was seriously so much fun and I wish I could give more detail but it would take forever. THANKS SO MUCH MOM!

Old Faithful

Firehole River It is fed by hot pots so it is so warm and the current shoots you around all of the rocks. So much fun!
Ready for floating and fishing the river.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Adam and Easton were such good little buddies. Until Adam would get tired of Easton and then he would pick him up, carry him to me and drop him off. SO HILARIOUS!
No zoom used. We were that close. There were tons of people around and I was certain we could outrun a few of them so I felt like we were ok. :)
Feeding fish and ducks at Big Springs

Bear World

It is so cool cause you just drive through and bears (and other wild animals) are just walking all over the place. They come right up to your car and look in at you. Such a neat EXPERIENCE.

Petting Zoo at Bear World

We saw this in West Yellowstone

A couple of weeks ago we went up to my familys cabin up on Cedar Mountain with Jess, Dallas and Drake. We rode the 4 wheelers and dirt bikes, played games and went to dinner in Duck Creek. It was a very nice relaxing weekend and on Monday we went to the lake. It was so nice out and there were hardly any other people on the lake.

On our way to the cabin

Annual Dixie Round-Up Parade and Rodeo

Hunter on the right

This last week we have had Skylers bosses Segways and we have had so much fun on them! They seriously make me so happy and I crave riding them. :)

Dallas's Grandpa

So there is the update, and hopefully I will be good and keep our blog up to date. I wish I could promise but I am just not that cool. SORRY!