Happy 26th Birthday Berklee!

 Happy Birthday to this beauty who made me a Mom 26 years ago.  I can't believe Berklee is this old. Where did the time go?  Berklee's birthday is February 16 but we waited to celebrate after Brightyn got home. It was a wonderful Sunday having all my kids over for dinner and fun!

Ballet West Nutcracker 2024

Another year of my favorite Christmas tradition.  It never disappoints!  Grammy wasn't feeling well so I'm so glad she was able to get better quickly so she could come with us.  I'm excited for next year because we will have my Brightyn Anne back to go with us.  I have missed having Brightyn with us for our girls Nutcracker Christmas tradition.  It just doesn't feel complete without her.  

 These are the BEST seats. After years and years of attending the Nutcracker I think I have finally found my favorite seats. So I always take a picture of the ticket so next year I can grab the same seats! 

Fall 2023

Our annual LDS General Conference drive! 

Ocotober 1, 2023

This year it was just Jas, Reggie and I but we had a beautiful time listening to conference and seeing all God's beauty!

I have been doing a ton of hiking with friends this Fall. I have enjoyed every minute of God's art work.  The world is just plain stunning when all the leaves change.  It is breathtaking.  

October 20, 2023

It is Fall Break for Jas so we decided to do one of our favorite hikes up Ogden Canyon.  We brought Berklee and Olive along for the fun as well. Once again mother nature did not disappoint!  The yellow colors were amazing! Hiking just soothes my soul!

October 14, 2023

The Eclipse

Jason's friend captured this amazing picture of the eclipse!  It was a super cloudy day so it was harder to see the eclipse but the pictures were awesome.  

 

Mt. Timpanogos 2023

 

August 24, 2023

I was talking to Berklee on the phone and she mentioned that they were going to hike Mt Timpanogos the next day and that I was invited if I wanted to come. Mt. Timp has been on my bucket list to do.  So I made a quick last minute decision to join them the next day.  It was the day before my 50th birthday so what could be a better way to celebrate than with an amazingly beautiful & challenging hike with my favorite people.  

Sinjun had to work so we didn't start the hike until 3pm.  Berklee and I had both worked out that morning! (Big mistake, out legs were dying!!)  So we had to do this hike quickly if we were going to finish before dark.  It was an intense elevation climb on a lot of loose rock. So my calves were screaming!  But we pushed through and completed the hike in 6 hours.  Whew! Most people do it in 91/2 hours.  We were cruising! 

Berklee, Me, Missy (Sinjun's Mom), Sinjun at the top.  Sinjun's friend also came along but he struggled to make it to the top! 

The wildflowers were INCREDIBLE!  This was probably one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done!  Just stunning!  These pictures just don't do it justice!

Berklee becoming one with nature!  Can you spot her head!  haha

This hike was truly breathtaking!  I'm so grateful that Berklee invited me and that I made the last minute decision to do it. I really hope to do it again next year!  The beauty is unmatched!

Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days Rodeo

June 16, 2023

Berklee and Sinjun invited us to the Strawberry Days Rodeo.  Jas and I haven't been to a rodeo in 25+ years.  It was so much fun!!  We loved the patriotic spirit that was displayed all throughout the evening.  They started with a prayer and the National anthem.  Jas was sold and wants to go every year because of the patriotic feelings that were expressed!  Right now in our country so many people take our freedoms for granted and don't respect the flag and those whose came before us that gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  So it was wonderful to be a part of something that completely honored our country and our freedoms!  ((Plus it gave me an excuse to wear these cute red cowboy boots!  haha)) 

 

Riviera Maya Mexico

May 30-June 6, 2023

As we flew into Cancun it was raining really hard so we had to circle for about 45 minutes before we could land.  It was rainy and dark when we arrive at our resort the El Dorado Royale.  We had to use umbrellas as we walked around to explore the resort.  The first two nights we were there we had torrential rains, like buckets of rain falling. So we were a little worried about the night of Berklee's wedding. We hoped and prayed that the weather would cooperate.  Our prayers were answered. It was a little windy during the ceremony but no rain. The minute the ceremony was over it started to rain, but the rain only lasted for about 20 minutes and we were able to do pictures on the beach and the smore's bar and dancing on the beach. So it all worked out as planned.  The rest of the trip we didn't have anymore rain. 

Cute Savannah, Berklee's bridesmaid, did her hair. She was so sweet and helpful! She volunteered to do all the bridesmaids hair. 

This was Berklee's theme for her wedding.  Below I will tell the full story of this sign.  haha

At the smore's/dance party after the wedding dinner.  They had a smores bar to die for.  It was THE best smores I have ever had. They all kind of fruit toppings and the best homemade graham crackers.  

As a large group we did a Cenote excursion.  Berklee & Sinjun's friends were so much fun. We visited 5 different cenotes. It was a total blast. We had the funnest tour guide.  He loved us so much that he threw in an extra cenote just for our group.  

Our first cenote we rappelled down into a cave. The water was FREEZING!  We all got to jump into the freezing cold water. The 2nd cenote was my favorite. It was out in the open so the cenote water was warm and our guide let us go several times on each zip line. We would zip line right into the cenote.  It was a blast.  The 3rd cenote was beautiful and we kayaked around the cenote river. The 4th cenote we were able to snorkel and see a few fish.  Honestly there wasn't much to see but the lilly pads were beautiful.  The last cenote was huge.  We were able to zip line in and then swim around it and at the end were were able to cliff jump.  It was so much fun! 

I know my helmet looks dumb. My head is too small for any kind of hat or helmet!  haha

 

Berklee had wanted to have a sign with this cute butterfly saying on it at her wedding. We had talked about it months before the wedding. We decided that it would be too difficult to try and travel with a huge sign. So we came up with the idea of using a canvas sign that could easily be folded up and traveled with.  Sinjun said he had a friend that could print what they wanted on the sign.  I kept asking Berklee if they had the sign taken care of.  She assured me they did. I had a friend that could have also done it for us as well.  I stopped asking because Berklee had assured me that they had the sign done.  The morning of the wedding when I went over to Berklee's place to help her get ready she pulled out a folded blank canvas from the package that I had ordered months ago for them on Amazon and some vinyl lettering that Sinjun's friend had printed for them. They hadn't made a single attempt to assemble the sign.  I spent an hour trying to use a basic iron to get the folded creases out.  Then came the really difficult part, applying vinyl to canvas.  It doesn't work!  Vinyl does not stick to canvas.  It was a complete nightmare.  It took me almost 4 hours to get it done. Thank goodness for Lindsey, another one of Berklee's bridesmaids.  If Lindsey hadn't helped there is no way it would have gotten done.  I was a little upset with them.  I wasn't really able to get myself ready!  UGH! I was just happy that we were able to get the sign done. If you look closely you will see that Sinjun's name was spelled wrong. You can't make this up! The morale of this story is I should have just taken charge of the sign!  haha