Our trip to Maple Canyon was great. Mom, Dad and I enjoyed the first night with a lot of rain and wind and missing tent pegs. It could of been a lot worse. Everyone else joined us Friday night. We had a cold night minus the rain but enjoyed games around the camp fire and a great dutch oven dinner made by Chad and John.

Isabelle and McKaydin
Our hike up the canyon on Saturday. No wonder it's called Maple Canyon. The trees were nearly all Maples.

Charlie wanted desperately to learn to rock climb like we had intended. Dean's climbing buddy couldn't make it up so we didn't get to climb. This was good enough for Charlie.

Uncle John with Belle. She's gotten really attached to him.

Isabelle nearly pulled Hannah into the creek.

Looking under a large boulder that blocked the trails path.

A little rock climbing.

Grandpa with his girls.I learned to herd cows with my car on the way up to the canyon.

Ava is 4 months old

Our sweet Miss Ava is 4 months old. I can't believe how time flies!!!! Enjoy these adorable pictures of our sassy girl.

My baby is a graduate!

Isabelle has graduated kindergarten and is nearly 6 years old. I owe so much to her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Ewing. She made Isabelle feel so special and smart. Belle is a girl who can easily fall through the cracks and Mrs. Ewing made sure that she didn't. I'm also very thankful to my good friends, Angie, Sarah, and Jen who valiantly picked up my children during this difficult year. You don't know how much your little acts of service helped me during those dark days!

Belle is so smart and very inquisitive. She asks the best questions and is always wanting to learn. She is content to watch me cook, clean, craft, and take care of Ava. I see her sucking up all this knowledge so that she will one day be the best mom ever. She likes to get my large novels and "read" them. She said Mrs. Ewing told her she could read any book you want. It's sweet to see her with a Mary Higgins Clark novel, lounging on the couch. Love you, Belle.

My husband the adventurer....WHAT?

Many of you know that Chad was called as Young Men's president in our ward about a month ago. He's been working with the 12 and 13 year old scouts for nearly 3 years and has enjoyed learning how to do things he never liked before. He's gained a great love for the boys in our neighborhood. He recently went on his first repelling trip with two teachers from the troop and a couple of leaders. He has never been so scared. I think he peed his pants a little!

Stephanie REALLY belongs to the family NOW!

So, Steph and Paul were volunteering at a triathlon sponsored by her work a few weeks ago. She pushed a board into the water at the end of the lane during the race and somehow ripped half of her nail clean off. At first she thought her pretty "wedding" nail had popped off, but no no no... it was for real. See that sharp edge near her cuticle? That is the bottom of her nail popped out of the skin. Cool... Last Monday Chad and I delivered their wedding gift to them and found Stephanie with a nail hanging on by some cuticle skin. She was a little too nervous to do it herself, so nurse Kristie operated and removed her nail revealing a newly started nail below. I think it will grow back normally. Now we know that Steph belongs in this family of medical mishaps! Love you, Steph.