Mormon Miracle Pageant 2010

We were able to do the Manti Pageant this year. We had planned to do it before we knew we were going to move here, but it ended up being a bonus so we could get house plans done, start sub-dividing, and the kids could become familiar with everything and meet new friends. It was a great experience for all of us. A great spirit is felt while doing the pageant and being at the temple. Nathan said his testimony grew. (even a bigger bonus!)

Addy LOVED wearing her ID badge. Every night we went up, she asked for her badge and said, "Yay! We going to temple!"


Two cutie-pies all dressed up and reading for their acting debut for an audience of 5,000 to 15,000!

Posing with the guy portraying Jesus before we go on...The kids LOVED the Christ in America scene. What a spiritual experience we all had understanding a little of how the people would have felt seeing the Savior coming down from the clouds and teaching them and blessing them. Beautiful scene! Addy was a bit scared of Jesus, that's why I had to jump in the picture before I even had my costume...But she talked about Jesus and was a bit confused when we kept trying to explain it was a "pretend Jesus", someone dressed up. She liked it when he gave her a high-5!



McKenzie in her angel costume:


Nathan as a Nephite:
He loved being a sword boy and swinging his sword following Captain Moroni down the hill with other little boys. Fun times!
The crew: All the Cousins with Mike and Jen. Bradley is 2nd from left, playing a lamanite warrior (yes, he gets killed every night), McKenzie is in the middle in her Nephite costume. We were supposed to be there, but thought we were late, so we were running down the hill to not miss our part.


Me with the younger 3. I love Addy's face in this one, and Nathan is a bit goofy!

Looks like we have a new family tradition! Now to get Mike involved next year...stay tuned!

It takes a village...

One thing I've noticed about coming back home is that we have lots of help to raise our children. Everyone is busy raising their own families, but you see people everywhere and they all seem to look out for our family...some examples:

A good friend's mom told me that she's at the high school often and she'll watch out for McKenzie and if she sees her hanging around the wrong kids, she said, "I'll just pull her aside and tell her that she's too good for that. And she shouldn't be hanging around them".

Then I finally convinced Bradley to get his haircut (It looked like clown hair), and he told the hairdresser that has known me all my life that he wants a mullet and long in the back. She winked at me as she found a compromise between what he wanted and what mom wanted. Then the little older lady waiting to get her hair done asked why he wanted it long. He told her his friends in California have their hair that way. She said, "Oh- you should want to be different- to be an example and a leader to those kids!". He got a kick out of her.

The bishop of the ward we'll be in when we build has been great to get to know the kids and watch out for them.

Bradley got lost at Temple hill the other night after practice, and I was very worried. I went back up to find him after I checked my mom's house, and while I was gone, a former teacher of mine had brought him home. He had a good chat with him. He'll be his shop teacher and will look out for him.

The secretaries at the middle school gave the 2 kids a tour of the school and told them they could always go to the office if they needed ANYTHING!

People call my mom when they hear of a rental home. They are all looking out for us.


My parents have been a great influence where needed with my kids. My dad has taken Bradley to work on the farm with him for 6-8 hours a day and Bradley has loved it. My mom has chatted with the kids and given them lots of attention. Addison only wanted grandma, not mom, yesterday. She rocked her for about 2 hours!

Gotta love this village!

Small town life

No pictures on this one, since I can't download the pics on my parents computer. I'll just have to catch up and post pictures when I get back to California.
It's fun to be back "home", although California has become my home for the past 8 years. The kids are adjusting, but will take some more time to adjust. Right now it seems as if we are on a long vacation, but everyone in town knows we are moving here. We have seen some interesting things while her: Ratfink convention, tractors driving down the highway, kids running 4-wheelers down the street, 5 year olds riding bikes down main street, and some interesting homes...nothing new to me, but watching through the kids' eyes, it is a little different than where they have been growing up.
The other day, I wondered if I left my phone in Walmart, so I stopped my car in the middle of the parking lot to look in my purse, (you know- a small-town thing to do), when someone honked at me. I drove off and waved. I then went to pick up my mom at the doctor's office and she said, "I heard you got honked at in the Walmart parking lot". WOW!
Then I looked at a small house to rent on main street, the one that I remembered my 11yr old Sunday School teachers lived in when they were first married and we had a pizza movie night in and other activities in that home. I think the house is too small, but I looked at it. Soon when I went to the county building or the grocery store, I'd hear, "You're going to rent that little house on main, huh?" or..."I heard you will be in our ward- the First ward". Mom thinks people saw me go in to look at it. I had to stop that rumor, since we don't think we may be able to fit in that small of a house. Pretty funny.
My kids are cracking up that wherever they go, they get people saying, "Your mom was my daughter's friend", or "I used to teach your mom in shop class in middle school." or "I was a cheerleader with your mom". They didn't realize people would know who they are this quick...but that's how it is in a small-town, you know... Funny.

I thought it may take some getting used to, being gone 18 years, but so far, I'm loving coming "home". I've realized how many people want to come back here. Some cannot get work here, and they are not able to be here, so I feel blessed. Some retire and come "home" after being gone longer than I was. I know I will always miss the weather in California and mostly the wonderful people I have met along the way, but am happy to be here.