Losing all sense of time...2 Years in 86 pictures...

 So how do you sum up two years of the lives of 6 people?  Aside from hours and hours and pages and pages of posts, there really isn't any good way.  But as our family has grown I've realized time is moving forward faster than ever--and I need to document these days before they are gone!  I want to remember the silly things, the day to day things, the fun trips, the chaos, the adventures, the hobbies....all of it.  I thought my memory would serve me better than it has, but I feel like as my brain fills up with so many memories there isn't room to hold it all.  So instead of pressuring myself to post about every happening over the last 2 years, I'm going to have to do a summary, otherwise the task is too overwhelming and I will never do it. So here goes the start of a new chapter, a new leaf turning over, and it starts with 2 years in 86 pictures (just so you don't think 86 pictures is crazy, I had to choose from almost 1000...so props to me for being so judicious!)....

My five favorite people (and my favorite dog) in the whole world, together in one picture.  Boy am I one lucky lady!

For Joey's 9th birthday Eric and I took him on a trip to San Francisco!  Jut him and mom and dad.  Giant's game, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Winchester Mystery House, Golden Gate Bridge...all the things!  Alcatraz was Joey's favorite.  

While we were in San Francisco, we were escaping the massive fire burning near our home.  For weeks the sky was black with smoke, ash covered our driveway, streets and house, the mountains lit up at night with flames, hundreds evacuated just blocks from our home....it was terrifying.  Firefighters from all over the Western US came to help and together, and by the grace of God, they were able to finally quell the flames and save every single home.

I've missed a couple of "First Day of School" shots...first day of school 2019! 

                                                     11th grade                               8th grade

                                                   5th grade                                3rd grade

A girl's trip out to Seattle was in order--Fun with sisters and cousins, trips to the lake, forest, beach and more!

Hiking for the boys....

A trip to San Diego must include a Padres game!

Fossil digging!  Jacob won a special award at the county science fair--we got to go to a fossil dig site for free and dig all day.  It was hard work, but of course Jacob was the one who found the best and most valuable fossil!  My future geologist.

Tyler got up the nerve to perform in his high school talent show..."Blackbird" by the Beatles.

Then cousins came out to Utah!  Fun at Payson Lakes and muddy muddy legs....

Freezing on the lake to watch fireworks for the 4th of July...

Visiting the Salt Flats, just for no reason at all except that we live in Utah!

Tyler's Covid Homecoming...so glad he has such great friends.

Lake Powell Trip #1 (2019)

Eric, Tyler and Jake on their pack trip!

First days of school 2020 (covid style)...

12th grade. SENIOR!

4th Grade!

6th Grade!

9th grade...FRESHMAN!

Lost of horse rides...

St George hikes...

A quick trip to Steamboat Springs!  I had to get away for a few days with Covid making us all trapped.  We had a great little jaunt to Colorado--most exciting was mountain biking.  One day we biked down a ski trail and a freak thunderstorm hit--like a bomb!  Hard and fast!  By the time we got down we were drenched, muddy, exhausted and of course the rain had stopped....  Joey was slightly traumatized...

But we biked the day before and had no storm or accidents--a long ride but everyone did it and did a great job!

Fun at the shops in town...what a cool looking bunch.

Another quick trip to Flaming Gorge...with a river rafting escapade--freezing water but beautiful scenery!

Our new "covid boredom" puppy, Pepper.  What was I thinking!??  

Camping with friends....

A weekend backpack trip through Coyote Gulch...

And of course a game of Splendor in the trailer after the hike...

Backyard summer evenings....s'mores and obstacle course challenges are a family favorite.

Another dance!  This one was pre-covid...

Our 2019 New Year's Eve dinner at The Roof.  We have a tradition where we go out to eat at a fancy restaurant every New Years Eve.  This year's was a blast.

And Joey gave all his Swagger!

We also did an escape room this year...a new tradition!  We made it out of the Egyptian Tomb!

Camping!

Eagle Scout Projects!  Tyler was finally able to complete his eagle project (the fires from the year before delayed his forest service project) and he now an official Eagle Scout!  Quite the accomplishment, we are so proud of him.  And now no one will be able to illegally drive on this road again! 

Another pre-Covid dance!  What a handsome guy!

More horse riding fun--my kids have no idea how good they have it!

First day of school 2019?  I can't even keep it straight anymore.  But I was thrilled to have a driver!

A very special highlight was Tyler did an HEFY in Zimbabwe!  They worked on building a health clinic in a village that desperately needed one.  What an amazing thing...  Tyler will remember this trip forever.  Once in a lifetime!

Lake Powell Trip #2!

Poor Maggie had to have a SECOND eye surgery.  What a trooper.  She didn't complain at all.  The first surgery did not correct the problem, unfortunately the second one did not either, but it is much better.  But now she gets to wear cute glasses so bonus!

Eric, Jake and Joey being insane in dad's Jeep--it's a good thing mom wasn't there!

More Western adventures!

The past two years also included an amazing family trip to Costa Rica.  It was incredible!  We went zip lining, played in the waves at the beach, kayaking, learned to make traditional tortillas from a little abuela, made ceviche, went out on a boat on the ocean and saw dolphins and went snorkeling, took a 4 wheeling adventure through the jungle to a secluded oasis where we cliff jumped, played and then ate the most amazing BBQ ever.  The sauce was so good, we asked what kind it was.  The guide told us it was a special kind found in Costa Rica.  When we returned to the town he went and got the bottle....Kraft Original!  We all laughed so hard.  We thought it was some local delicacy.  

We had our own villa and it even had it's own little pool!  

From hot, to cold!  We've become quite the skiing family!  I've gotten slowly better and can now do most blue runs...slowly, very slowly.....  But I'm learning!

Annual Ugly Sweater Party!  2018. Always a blast.

Another couple shots from Lake Powell #2.

Christmas!  Going to see the lights at Temple Square....

Lastly, even though this has consumed life for the last 6 months...COVID-19.  It has been quite a roller coaster.  All our trips were cancelled (D.C. and Italy and Disneyland).  For weeks store shelves looked like this--you couldn't find toilet paper if your life depended on it.  Schools were shut down in March and we had to do home learning.  You'd probably think for someone as organized as I am I would have been great at doing home learning with my kids...you would be wrong.  I was miserable at it.  So when they decided last minute to return to school learning in the fall I was beyond thrilled.  There are protocols, kids have to wear masks, social distance, and quarantine if ill.  The schools are on standby for switching at a moment's notice to at home or alternate day learning.  We have to wear masks whenever we go somewhere, many restaurants are closed for dine-in, theaters are closed, etc.  It's been such a crazy time, a time that my kids will remember and tell their kids about someday I'm sure.  

There is also the 2020 presidential election coming up in just a couple weeks.  People have gone crazy.  Protests for Black Lives Matter filling the streets, looting, rioting, political vitriol being spewed from every side.  I could go on and on.  I wouldn't be surprised if the second coming came next week!  Alas, I doubt we will be that lucky.  But I am grateful to have the peace of knowing there is more to this life than just this world...that I can still find peace when the world is falling apart all around me.  I don't need to let anger fill my heart.  I just move forward with faith, trying my best to do what's right.  I often feel like I fall short, and I am sure I often do in so many ways.  Sometimes it seems impossible to do everything we are called upon to do.  So I close with a quote that has brought be a lot of comfort and motivation over the past few months...