Pack and Play

We are still on our mission to play and enjoy PA as much as possible before we leave.  Fortunately, we had a couple rainy days and I was able to force myself to pack up about half of our stuff. We move in three days, so I probably better get a little more focused on the move.

T BALL FUN!

Rickets Glen State Park

We had one last state park I really wanted to see, so we hoped in the car and made a last minute "fast" trip.  I laugh when I say fast, because it took us three hours to hike the little over three mile waterfall laden trail. It was amazingly beautiful, with well over twenty large waterfalls along the trail. I'm so glad we were able to squeeze it in before we left. 

 We also enjoyed a few more days at our favorite Whipple Dam.

Look at my sweet little 7 month old beach baby.

Filling our Canteen.

In two weeks we will be loading up the big yellow truck and saying goodbye to the "white house” forever. Two weeks is no time at all and I am quite conflicted with my emotions over the big event.  I haven’t written in a while as the past two weeks have been busy and full of as many fun activities as I can manage to squeeze into each day.  I feel as though we have been trying to “fill our canteen” with as many of the wonderful people and places here we are going to miss. Unfortunately, I haven’t been very good about remembering my camera so this post if full of pictures from my not so great phone.  

Doesn't Jake look like a new man!?!
He had his public thesis defense and it went great and got everything passed off on it. He also received another award at the end of year banquet....for being just so darn AWESOME!   

One night I went in to check on the kids and I couldn't open the door. Hudson had decided to move his bed to the floor.
I think he just wanted to be closer to his trains. Funny Guy! 

 Hudson completed his first year of the music program he has been attending.  They finished off the year with a recital.  He was so excited and super self motivated to practice his bells for the performance. He did a great job, and we were so proud of him for working hard.

Penn State's model train club had another open house and of coarse we found our way there.  Hudson and Ellie thought it was pretty amazing and they even let Hudson be the conductor for the great big train that was heavily guarded by the strange undergrads who belong to the club.  Once again I'm a little concerned after seeing what a model train obsession, that is not kept in check, can do to a nice young man. I hope my little Hudson finds some new hobbies as he gets a little older.

We made it out to the Blue and White game. It was fun to put on our Penn State stuff and go see some football.  The kids loved watching the blue guys smash the white guys.  We all had fun cheering and enjoying the day together.

My little Nittany Lion

This is why we don't have tickets to the real games.

Baby James was born!  We are so excited to have a new cousin, and we can't wait to meet  him!

Uncle Cam and Aunt Liz announced that they are having a baby around Thanksgiving. 

We are so happy for them!

If the weather is nice out, you can bet that we can be found at our favorite little mountain lake. Enjoying the sun, sand, and not quite warm yet water.

If its not raining, but too cold for swimming, you can find us out enjoying the park.

One day I planned a picnic for us, but it was so cold out the kids didn't want to sit on the blanket to eat. They ended up eating their lunch while wrapped up in the blanket instead.  You might not think that sounds fun, but they loved it, and were sad when it was time to leave.

Glad Tidings

Two years ago when we packed up our house and said goodbye to a wonderful neighborhood full of dear friends. I was full of hope that we would return to it, but with each month that lapsed my hope faded. With a poor job market and a job search that was open to anywhere, I felt our chances of ever moving back, impossible at best.  In fact, until about a week ago, I have felt very stressed and shackled about what to do with the house we left behind in Heber.  

Lately, we have felt strongly that the lord wanted Jake to focus his job search back home in Utah, and so he has. The lord surprised us this week by leading Jake to an unlikely job in an unlikely place.  He has been offered and excepted a job as the watershed director of the Kamas Valley Conservation District. The work will take him in a little different direction then he planned, (farther away from design and more towards hydrology). He feels the work he will be doing will be very fulfilling and is excited for all the field work and community education that will be involved.  The best part of the job is that it will take us back to an area we loved and a home that is already waiting for us. The best part of that is that we will again be in much desired closer proximity to family.  Once again, I am blown away by how our heavenly father continues to take care of our family. I'm so thankful for his promptings and his guidance, and most of all, his blessings!

An ice cream cake to celebrate.
GOOD JOB JAKE!

Easter Fun

On Saturday we enjoyed a day at the park and an Easter egg hunt.  I had no idea 10,000 eggs could disappear so quickly. Hudson and Ellie had a blast, and surprised me by not even being afraid of the Easter Bunny this year.  I guess they are growing up. They are certainly getting pretty good at finding eggs.

Hudson preparing Autumn for next year.

Part teddy bear, part adorable baby, equals a whole lot of snugly fun. I don't know what I'm going to do when we don't have any more babies to put inside this thing.

Autumn 6 months

Ellie 6 months

Hudson 3 months

Ohhh how I love my three little bears!!!

One Last Trip to Poe Valley

Since we set a move date I find that I am already starting to say goodbye to people who have been a big part of our lives. Even as excited as we are to get home it is hard for me to think about leaving here. We have loved our time here and made some wonderful friendships. I find that I am even a little sad when I visit places here I love.  Jake had a little extra work to finish up at one of the state parks he studied so we made an afternoon outing out of it.  Our little family spent a good deal of time at Poe Valley State Park last summer and it made me really sad to see it and know that it was probably the last time. Despite my mourning, it was still a wonderful afternoon of hiking and playing in the sand.  

The Tale of the Rocks

  As we were hiking along the shore, Hudson started to fall in love with nearly every rock he saw. He packed them around with him until he no longer could manage and began placing them in a pile he referred to as his rock collection. Nearby, Jake started to skip rocks across the water and Hudson decided he wanted to give it a try. He picked up one of his prize rocks and lobbed it into the lake.  Suddenly, the connection was made that his rock would not be coming back. You could see a mixture of panic and terror come across his face. In a hysterical craze he ran for the water as fast as he could and attempted to retrieve his rock. Even the icy water had little effect of detracting him from his frantic search. Thankfully, Jake thought to pretend to find one just like it and Hudson was appeased for a moment until we delivered the crushing news that the rocks would not be coming home with us. I tried to appeal to him by telling him we would take this picture of the rocks so we could keep it forever and he seemed ok with my proposal until it came time to actually say goodbye. He was one heart broken little guy. Good thing he was so busy applying his classic Charlie Brown pout to see that his parents were laughing and not sharing his pain. I guess I’m not the only one having a hard time saying good bye.