Happy Birthday Conor-12 big ones

Conor had a birthday! Conor celebrated for a few weeks. We had cake and candles and presents before we left for St. George and then we celebrated in St. George and then he had a friend birthday party when we got back! What a spoiled kid. Please remind him that I am a nice Mom when he is being ungrateful. He invited 7 friends to Get Air and the bounced and bounced and bounced.  They had a great time together.  I am grateful for this sweet little boy who is kind and loving, who tries to do what is right, who is brave and amazing when it comes to taking care of his diabetes and who is always trying to do what is right.  Conor was ordained a deacon on May 3rd and was able to pass the sacrament for the first time on May 10th (Mother's Day)  What a great gift to have a son who is now a young man who is worthy to pass the sacrament and hold the Aaronic priesthood.  Love you Conor.

-Happy Birthday Conor and Me

-Present time

-Blowing out the cupcake candles at Get Air

-Lincoln in the foam pit-enjoying Conor's party

-The boys jumping across the trampoline pit

-Conor, Colton, Gavin, Rory, Parker, Brett and Branden and Cameron (not pictured)

Handsome Conor-1st day to pass the sacrament

Hiking the Y and visiting the Wards

The only consolation to leaving St. George was that we got to go see the Wards, our friends who moved from Spokane a few years back. It was so great to visit them and hang out like old times. You know you are true friends when you can get together and talk for hours without missing a beat. We miss these guys so much! We met at an awesome park and let the kids play for a few hours and then we went to their cute house and hung out, ate dinner and played some games like old times. Before we went to the Wards we hiked the Y with all of the rest of Provo. Man that little town is getting so crowded. The kids did amazing and they all hiked the whole thing. Next-back to the grind. We sure had a nice break, it went by so very fast. Love you Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen.

-I sure love these amazing hikers!  Back to my stomping grounds.

-Josie at the top of this really amazing spiderweb play structure-she was way up there

-Lincoln on another way cool play structure

-Mike, Julie, Julie and Kevin

-Julie and Julie-Can't you please be my next door neighbor???  

-Kellogg and Ward kids

-We were lucky enough to see Matt before he heads off to Denmark on his mission

Polywogs and chill time

The kids discovered that the neighborhood pond/water feature had bazillions of tadpoles in it. They went down daily to check on them.  We finally took Wayne's car out for a neighborhood spin, and some fun family photo ops in the backyard.

-Some neighborhood tadpole hunting

-The teeny tiny tadpoles

-feeling young and cool in Wayne's car

-I sure love these two so much!   I am so blessed to call them Mom and Dad

-Me and my sweet Mom

-Grandma and  Grandpa with the cute Kellogg kids-So happy to spend the week together in St. George

Church rocks and pool time

Kevin and I got up early and headed to the Church Rocks trail. We got some great pictures and had a ton of fun out here. We went and got the kids and tried to hike the Red cliffs trail, but it was so crowded we couldn't even park so instead we headed to the famous crack and hopped around on the boulders. Then it was family pool time.  Just another day in paradise.

-church rocks trail

Southern Utah at its finest

-Pool break time for Lincoln

-Swimming with Daddy is the best

And the fun begins

Now it is time to relax, hit the trails on the bikes and on our feet, hit the pool and have some fun.  We had great weather, and we hiked out to the viewpoint over Santa Clara and a little farther...and another day we hiked to the Scout Caves.  Grandma was such a trooper as we pulled her up some steep stairs and maybe a little wall.  The kids were regular mountain goats.  They ended up racing ahead and beat everyone to the cave by a long shot.  Kev and I got to do some great riding out at the Bear Claw Poppy trail.  Man it never ever gets old.

-Doing some rock hopping

-Conor, Grandma and Grandpa among one of the many beautiful blooming cactus plants

-This is probably my favorite view from the bear claw poppy trail

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-Looking out from the scout cave

-The trail head for the scout caves

-Lincoln way ahead of me entering into the scout cave

-The sweet moments when Lincoln holds your hand when you walk with him

Easter Morning

We got to celebrate Easter in St. George. We did an easter egg hunt and watched conference and we went back to Craig and Chyleen's to hang out with the gang until they all had to head home.

-Before the hunt

-Grandma and Grandpa chillin on the back porch

-Counting out the haul

-This is how we watched conference.  I wish I could always watch conference with this gang, feeling so blessed

A much needed VACAY!!!!

This year more than any other school year has gone by so amazingly fast.  I feel overwhelmed at times when I realize time is slipping by so fast.  I heard a quote recently that was something like the days are long but the years are short.  So true. 

On that note...spring break is all ready here?  I swear we just started school.  Yet, our family was really in need of some relaxation, fun and a break from the routine.   We went on our annual St. George journey for spring break.  We love it in St. George and we are so grateful for Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen who make our annual trips reality.  Time to hit the trails on the bikes and on our feet, time for some good eats, lots of pool time, some golf, some tennis and a lot of what ever.  Deep breath.... 

Happy Birthday to me!  We drove all night and got to St. George just in time to get about 2 hours of sleep before we went on a ride with these rock stars.  After some fun riding we went over to Craig and Chyleen's to swim and send the men to the priesthood session.  Conor's fist time!   Between sessions we took the kids to the park.  After priesthood we had dinner and celebrated birthdays.  I am so lucky to celebrate my birthday with family in St. George.  What a great day. 

Spencer, Amber, Me, Kevin and Craig

Grayson, Kaiden, Lincoln and Josie

Kellogg and Johnson cousins

We all fit in the van to go to the park

Kevin and Conor headed to the priesthood session

Katy, Grandma and sleeping Lincoln

Birthday gang-look at that angel food cake