Cops N' Robber

Reese's Baptism

Reese was Baptized on Saturday Aug 25th 2018.

His Grandpa Washburn (my Dad) baptized him, while his great-Grandpa Washburn (JB Washburn) confirmed him.  Edward was able to be one of the witnesses.  So many of our friends and family came to support Reese, and it was such a beautiful event.  I felt the Spirit so strong.  One of the sweet ladies in our Primary Presidency said she felt the spirit stronger than at any baptism she had ever been to, and she said she had been to quite a few.  I'm hoping Edward felt it as well.  After his Confirmation, Reese and Hayden sang a duet "I hope they call me on a mission".  Our next door neighbor Ali (Bishop's wife), had taught Reese that song last year when she substituted his Primary class, and I never grow tired of hearing them sing it.  Bishop asked me if I would like to bare my testimony, so I did.  After testifying of my Savior and Redeemer, I told Reese how proud I was of him.  I had tears of joy, but what warmed my heart was when I looked at Reese he had the hugest smile on his face and tears spilling down his cheeks as well.  He wiped them away as he grinned up at me, and I will remember that moment forever.  It is amazing how quickly after receiving the Gift of The Holy Ghost, these sweet kids can feel the influence of the Spirit. The gospel of Jesus Christ and my kids bring me so much joy in life!

Reese's 8th B-Day

Lake Powell Cousin Fun

(Don't worry -they didn't actually drive the jet-ski ;)

4th of July in Page!

We started the day out with the 4th of July Parade:

 

Then we went to the city park for some small town fun:

We finished off the day watching the firework show at my friend Jen's house.

 

I am grateful for family, friends, and the freedoms we enjoy living in this country.

I am grateful for the many men and women who have fought and died so that we might have those freedoms.

 

Wind Caves Hike

Strong will

The other day Hayden was sitting on Grayce's stool eating a PB&J sandwich he had made himself.  I don't know if it was because he was sitting on her stool, or if he did something else to make her mad, but when I walked in the room I saw Grayce take two slices of bread from the bag and rip them into tiny pieces and chuck them at her brother before running away.  I asked Hayden what that was all about, but he claimed innocent surprise (might be true, but on the other hand he is a pretty big tease).  So I went to talk to Grayce.  She was hiding under her blanket in her bedroom.  She didn't want to talk.  I drug her back to the kitchen and showed her the mess she had made.  I told her to say sorry to her brother.  She pursed her lips tight, glowered, and then snapped, "I'm NOT sorry!"  I told her to sit in time-out until she said she was sorry.  She started crying but sat in time out.  Hayden (with help from the dogs) cleaned up the remaining bread crumbs.  Every few minutes I would prompt Grayce, "Just say you're sorry and you can get up."  She kept crying and would snap, "I'm NOT sorry!"  This went on for 20 minutes!  I figured at that point that she had been punished enough and told her to go play quietly in her room.  I was amazed that a 3yr old would be so determined -to stick to her guns for that long.  I am stubborn.  Hayden is stubborn.  But I felt like with Grayce this was something else.  The next day I was telling one of my patients about what had happened.  She said, "I like her better for not giving in."  I had to admit that it had surprised me and left me with a feeling of admiration that I couldn't explain.  My patient put into words what I was feeling, she said, "She showed Integrity.  She wasn't sorry about what she had done, and she wasn't going to lie and say she was."  I think this incidence stood out to me because Grayce is normally so sweet and quick to apologize.  I never want to pit my will against hers.  I hope I can teach my kids manners while being patient and loving.

Sleeping with gloves...

Another Visit from the Tooth Fairy!

Hayden's front tooth has been loose for quite some time, so he wanted to try shooting it out with his dart bow.  If you watch closely you can see the tooth land on the toddler table.

Another year of school in the wraps

Reese had Mrs. Turner for 1st Grade.  He absolutely adores her! She has been so great with him!

Hayden had Mrs. Martinez for Kinder

She was Reese's teacher last year and we love her! 

 Love this sweet Kinder grad of mine:

Page Trip

We celebrated Brian's Birthday and some exciting news from Sarah!

 My Mom got 10 baby chicks -which Grayce had a hard time leaving alone.

 

 The two amigos -Grayce LOVES cousin James! 

He is so sweet and easy going -Grayce drags him from one activity to the next and he just grins and follows along :)

 Uncle Brian taught the boys how to play Frisbee Golf:

 

 I went mountain biking for the first time. It's kinda scary.  The smooth parts are fun since the bike just coasts, but I did a lot of squealing every time there were rocks going up or down. 

 Halfway around rim-view trail Brian's right pedal snapped off completely, so he had to ride his bike like a scooter the rest of the way, and still he smoked me!

 

 We took the kids to the lake, and tried packing everyone in one vehicle so we wouldn't have to pay for admission (to Glen Canyon Nation Park -Brian has a military card that gets his vehicle in free).  When we got to the toll booths however, the Navajo ranger told us admission was free before Brian could even pull out his card.  Brian was surprised and asked why.  The lady said "cuz".  So Brian prompted "cuz why?"  The lady got huffy and said, "Do you WANT to pay?" and then closed her window.  It had us laughing pretty hard the rest of the drive.

 We loved getting to see sweet Grandpa Washburn! 

He's living in Page now and we've missed him the last couple trips (he gallivants all over the country and rez visiting family and friends).  He's serving as a Stake Missionary and is loving it!

Flat Iron

Flat Iron is a portion of the Superstition Mountain that looks like an upside down iron.  It's only a 6 mile hike, but the last quarter mile is pretty much a vertical ascent and will get your legs burning!  My first time attempting this hike we ran out of water and had to turn back early, so I was determined to try it again before the heat of summer hits in full force.  My Mom was here this weekend to watch my kids while I attended the Phx Dental Convention, so I decided to skip the morning lecture and gathered a group of ladies from my ward to hike to the top! The week prior the temperature was in the mid-nineties, but the day of the hike it dropped suddenly to a high of 72 degrees.  We started out at 5am so it was cool and beautiful the whole way.  I feel like Heavenly Father knew how much I wanted to do this hike and blessed us with the perfect weather for it.  I am so very grateful for His many tender mercies.