Time Flies

It seems like time is just flying by. I can't believe we've already been in Utah for 2 months now! I feel like I am finally adjusting, meeting new friends, and actually finding things I love. So...here are some of my favorites about Utah so far.












Gateway Mall--How could anyone not love this mall. The girls and I spent a day out there last week and had so much fun. The first pic is the girls trying on scarves in Anthropologie. They are my little diva's (check out Lillie's model expression). They were so excited to try out the water fountain area and we even brought towels and swimsuits, but of course, the one day we drive all the way out there is the day it was closed for maintenance! Oh well, it all worked out because we found the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to drown our troubles in chocolate. Oh my gosh, this place is amazing. If you've never been to one, find one and enjoy.


Tai Pan--This place is packed with everything you would ever need to put the final decorating touches on your house. The other great thing is that the prices are totally reasonable.

Great Connections--Thankfully, I have a super nice sister-in-law that has a sweet family who takes pity on us and invites us to do fun things with them. On Memorial Day we got to tag along with them on a trip to Deer Creek Lake. Only the guys were brave enough to put on a wetsuit and freeze their buns off in the icy water (literally, this lake is all the snow run off). We had a great time and the girls loved their first boat ride.


Liberty Park--This is a gigantic park in Salt Lake and has pretty much everything you can think of to do here. There is a little carnival place with a farris wheel and cute little kid rides, a place to eat, tennis and basketball courts, tons of different playground and picnic areas and the favorite for my kids...the water area. We didn't realize this place was here and we didn't have swimsuits or anything, but as you can see, that didn't stop the kids from having a blast (this picture was taken when there were still pretty dry). We brought a picnic dinner and were there for a few hours. What a great place to spend a Saturday.

Thanksgiving Point--One day a couple weeks ago some new friends took us to The Farm and then lunch at the Deli there. My girls had a blast and it was so much fun. There are tons of things to do here all year round and we only live a couple minutes away, so we are definitely getting a year pass.

Fun in the backyard

The other day Abbie came in from the backyard and proudly announced that her and Lillie had made me some mud soup, complete with vegetables (pieces of grass) to make my muscles strong. Besides the fact that they were covered in mud and she ruined her new shirt, it was really sweet. Does anyone know how to get mud out of a shirt? For some reason this mud has stained it. I used Zout, which usually gets ANYthing out, but it's not working.

Some thoughts on Motherhood...

I have been reading the book "I am a Mother" by Jane Clayson Johnson. So, of course, that in addition to Mother's Day has made me think a lot about being a mom. Here's what I have learned so far.
I have always been worried that I am not doing enough to make a difference in the world. That all I am able to do right now, because I am a stay at home mom, doesn't reach farther than my neighborhood and friends and family. Through reading this book and doing some of my own reflection I have truly realized that by raising my children in the most righteous circumstances as possible, I am changing the world (a little dramatic, I know, but keep reading). All the mom's out there that are doing their day to day mommy routine the best they can are raising one of Heavenly Father's choicest generations. Thomas S. Monson said, "Occasionally discouragement may darken our pathway; frustration may be a constant companion. In our ears we may hear Satan as he whispers, 'You cannot save the world; your small efforts are meaningless.'" I am so grateful that is not true. Being a mom teaches me so much about love, patience and of course sacrifice. I am so grateful for these lessons, even when I am cleaning my toddler's bathroom accident out of my carpet, yet again. Anyway, this book is a great read and I hope that all you mothers out there remember that whether you are reading the scriptures to your kids, or wiping their noses, you are making a difference. Happy Mother's Life.

AZ Trip

Here's what the backseat of McCall's car looked like driving down from Utah. They are all sporting McDonald's American Idol Happy Meal toys. I don't know why, but the kids were so good for us. The only problem we had was poor Abbie getting her hair pulled out by Jackson whenever he got bored. He's so dang cute that she could never bring herself to get mad at him. Thank goodness Abbie was in the middle, she is my little peacemaker!

We took my niece Sarah for a swim with the girls at Brad's mom's house one day. For some reason, her and Abbie think it's so funny to get into the baby floaters. Lillie was just happy pretending to be a mermaid the whole time. It was so great just hanging out in the pool.

Saturday morning we went to my nephew's birthday party at Skateland. I don't think I have skated since elementary school. So much fun!

This picture was taken at my mom's house. These are 8 out of the 10 cousins on my side of the family. Abbie and Lillie were so happy to play with them while we were there. This is their "crazy" pose.

Kristen and Garrett are Married!!

On May 5th, little Kristen Randall became Mrs. Garrett Fuller. We are so happy for them, even though they will be living in southern Cali. It was a beautiful temple wedding with Garrett's grandpa as the sealer and a super cute and fun reception. My girls would not leave the dance floor! I had a great week in Arizona leading up to the wedding and luckily missed all of the snow and rain in Utah (Snow in May? Who can live like this?) Scott's wife, McCall, and I with Abbie, Lillie and Jackson went down Monday before the wedding for a little vaca. It was so fun swimming and just hanging out with family. Jenna also had her baby shower while we were in AZ at the Crandall's house. It was so fun seeing her open all of her cute baby boy stuff. I will post more pics of the trip soon.