Utah & then some

Last month we trekked out to Utah for a big family trip that lasted nearly 3 weeks. We spent the first week camping in the Uintas Mountains at Lyman Lake. We experienced rain, sleet, snow & a little sunshine in between. Luckily, we had an RV that we could camp in during the yucky weather!We fished, hiked, played cards, shot guns, roasted marshmallows and played in the dirt. Aside from the precipitation, we had a FUN camping trip! After camping, we traveled all over Utah, Idaho & Wyoming visiting friends and family.  We were always on the move and slept in a different bed every 2-3 nights. Towards the end of the trip, Arlo & Josiah started asking when we could go home. I think we all missed our home, bed & toys. Moral of the story: family vacation should not last more than 8-10 days.Here are some of the highlights from our trip....

Miles' first airplane trip. Sunday September 23, 2012 (Jason drove the van out with the twins)

All the kids watching a movie in the RV while the rain came down.

My boy.

We made the kids cook their own dinner!!

The boys' first real fishing experience and they LOVED it!! It didn't take long before they had each caught a fish!

Visiting with the Courtdawg on campus. GO cougars!

My Lisa & Katie, BFFLAB

Playing in the volleyball pit. Cutest thing you've ever seen.

Playing with Aunt Tiffy

With Grandma & Grandpa Burnham

Flying home. It was probably the highlight of the boys' trip. They "went on 2 planes & a train" all in 1 day!!  (We had a layover in Houston and took the train to a different terminal).

We had a row of 3 seats on the plane, so the boys were able to lay down and take naps. Arlo & Miles on the seats....

...and Josiah laying on the floor.

What Matters Most

This past week I have been feeling a little depressed, lonely, exhausted, useless, and overwhelmed with life....like I'm just running on the treadmill of life. Do you ever feel like 24 hours isn't enough time to get things done in a day, so instead, you just sit on the couch and do nothing? That has been me the past week... until this evening.

And I worry about my boys - am I doing everything right? I'm pretty tough on myself as a mother. The first 2 years of life, I just need to keep them alive and healthy; but now.... They are getting the age that I could potentially scar them for life....I have to be SO CAREFUL about discipline, what I say, how I say it, am I hugging & kissing them enough?, how can I teach them Gospel concepts so they understand and want to choose the right?, am I treating all my children with fairness?, etc, etc...

ANYWAYS....I had one of those perfect moments tonight with my family and I wish I could freeze time. Jason was washing the van in the driveway while my boys were running around shirt-less and getting sprayed with the water hose. (note- it's still 80 degrees here) I sat in the lawn chair holding my sweet baby and just enjoyed the moment. I wish I had a camera, but I didn't want to go in the house to get it because I would have lost a minute of that precious experience. Instead of a photo, I want to sear that memory and joy into my heart forever.

It's not about how clean my house is, how gourmet my food is, how crafty I am or how perfect my hair looks (none of which I claim to do, that's just wishful thinking!) It's all about those perfect moments with my children and husband....the memories they will have washing the van with their daddy, playing pirates together, riding bikes to the mailbox, or snuggling together in our bed each morning. My boys will grow up too soon and I don't want to miss these precious years. So, ignore the spit-up on my shirt, overlook my messy house & hair....we've been too busy having fun.