Fun in Utah...Pre-Wedding

We traveled the 13 hour car ride up to Utah 5 days before the wedding to get the last minute details taken care of, and to meet all of Brandon's family and friends before the big day! We broke the drive up over two days, driving 6 hours one day, and spending the night with my sister in Vegas, than driving the other 7 hours the next day.

On the drive up Brandon bribed the kids to be good by paying them $0.50/hour for each hour they were good. What a perfect motivation...money!! The kids ended up with $5.50 out of the $6.50!! They were SO good!!! It was not only a really harmonious drive, but it ended up being a great lesson on tithing! I love my hubby...he is so smart! Although the whole situation did end up being a joke for the rest of our vacation...that the kids are only good for him because he pays them to be good!

The 5 days in Utah was crazy!! I met the rest of his amazing family, attended barbeque's, ate out with his childhood friends, did a lot of shopping, put together wedding crafts, and slept VERY little!!

Looking back, I wish I would've taken many more photos. The week went by too fast, and there are many moments I wish I would've captured. Oh, and a better camera would be nice...some of these photos don't look as perfect as I remember them moment being!

My handsome hubby driving on our way up to Utah.

Ash fell asleep holding her money!

Ash and Great "Grandma B" (Brandon's Grandma Baxter). LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!

Noah, Brandon, and Lily looking at some Speth family photos at his grandparents.

The girls playing games with Grandma Speth (Brandon's mom). LOVE THIS WOMAN TOO!!

My dad (Grandpa Harrington) playing crochet with the kids in the Speth's backyard after a cookout.

Brandon has had three best friends for over 25 years...they all grew up together on the same street! Well, those best friends, Mike, Mike, and Doug all made the trip to Utah for our sealing from different parts of the U.S. to show support for us. We were so blessed to have them there, and to be able to have our families get together. One afternoon we got all four families together to do a cookout, and to let all the kids play. It was really fun!! And the food was amazing!

Eating smores at Mike's

Ash was a sweaty hot mess!

The wives chatting it up!

The boys (husbands) playing a a game...LOVE Brandon's butt shot!

That pool was actually just filled with ice and canned sodas...great idea!

The wives again...and another great butt shot. Haha!

Playing on the trampoline.

The hubbies playing games...still.

Noah...just barely shy of turning 10 years old! Isn't he so handsome!?

Ash playing with her friend Annie under the trampoline.

A soaking wet Brandon after he decided to pick a water fight with me! Lily got caught in the middle.

Ash and Brandon playing football.

Random pictures

Here are just a few random pictures from when we first arrived here in Arizona.

Us on the plane ride...

The kids after I bought a movie for them to watch...it was on a little screen attached to the back of the seat in front of them. This second part of the flight was heavenly!! Well worth the $6 for the stupid movie!

The day after we got here, Brandon went outside to do yard work, and Ashlyn decided to put on her purple tutu and help push the lawnmower with him!

Brandon was so sad when he saw this picture...he is obsessed with a beautiful lawn! And when he saw how brown that one area looked in the picture, he was devastated! Luckily, it greened up within days of this picture being taken.

Lily and Noah playing baseball in 104 degree weather! It was actually not too bad...no humidity!

The girls in the sprinkler...

Liliana Belle turns 7!!!

Lily turned 7 on May 31st!! We were staying with our cousins at the time, with nothing but three carry-ons for our plane ride to Arizona, and so we couldn't do any presents (for fear that we wouldn't fit them in our luggage), but we did have a cute party, and then Lily got to have a sleepover in the basement with her cousins! Than when we got to Arizona 4 days later, we did present opening with Brandon and my parents.

The birthday girl getting her breakfast...chocolate chip pancakes!

Her Rapunzel birthday cake.

Sleepover in the basement...Lily, Ashlyn, and their two cousins.

Opening presents in Arizona...

New bike helmet...

Art kit...she is OBSESSED with art projects!

That same night I got to open my birthday present from Brandon. He didn't want to mail it to me in Kansas City since we were moving one week later, so he just kept it at our house until we got to Arizona.

He got me a framed picture of the famous poem, 'Footprints in the Sand.' What a good pick! Love that man!

What I really love about Lily is that she is so giving! I constantly call her my "little mommy." She loves to willingly set the table for dinner, help around the house, clean, she pitches in whenever asked, and even when not asked! She is so extremely helpful! She's happy almost all the time, and thrives on being around people. She does have a little bit of attitude, and sass, which translates to her rolling her eyes at me at times, and putting her hands on her hips when she talks. Yeah, she keeps me thoroughly entertained! She loves to do art projects of any kind. She would rather be inside cooking, cleaning, and creating things than being outside getting dirty. She is usually scared to try new things, but then once she does, she laughs in delight that she was "brave" enough to do it. She is such a sweetheart, and I can't imagine not having her in my life, and as a part of our family! I LOVE you miss Lily!

It is SO hard to believe that moving day was 2 weeks ago!!!

Where has the time gone??

Now it's time for me to catch up on the blog!

Two weeks ago I had the townhouse completely packed up, and I thought I was really organized and ready for the priesthood to come and load the truck...except for the taking apart of electronics of course! I had almost every box in the living room, and I started doing that weeks before moving day, so as the day got closer and closer, my living room got more and more full! Here is my living room on moving day...

Once I got the truck (with the help of my BF and her hubby), I just had to do a few kitchen items, and the stupid little things that I couldn't do until the very last minute.

I was blessed enough to have some really great friends take Ash for me so that I could get things done.

After school the kids played in the back of the moving truck and got filthy dirty...but they had a great time! The priesthood showed up promptly at 6p, and they were great..for the first 30 minutes, then they thought they needed to speed things along...well...I will just leave it at that. At least they came and packed the truck, right? Even if Brandon did have to repack it the next day! It's the thought that counts.

Kids in the back of the truck

Moving day...my driveway.

Saturday morning, before Brandon left for Arizona.

After the truck was loaded, I gave the kids baths, and put them to sleep on the floor. Then left to get Brandon from the airport just 20 minutes away...his flight came in at 11:30p! (yes, the kids were okay...I had a babysitter)

The next day Brandon reloaded the truck to fix the problem that the Elder's Quorum had left. While he did that, me and some ladies from the Relief Society cleaned the townhouse. It was pretty quick, and we were done right as the kids were getting off the bus at 1:30p. It was their last day of school and so they had an early release day.

After a few errands to Goodwill, a trash drop off, Home Depot, UPS (to return the AT&T U-verse equipment), and a few trips to the cousins to drop off the food from the fridge/pantry and some misc. items, we were finally headed to my friend Chantel's house for dinner.

It was nice to chill and relax, and just socialize. But after awhile, we headed back to the cousins to sleep. WE WERE EXHAUSTED! Plus, Brandon had to get up early to start on his 22 hour long drive to Arizona with the moving truck!!!

The next morning, Saturday, Brandon headed on his way to Arizona, and me the kids laid around all day!! I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders...I could let my body relax finally. My part was done. Now for the next 6 days, me and the kids could just play with the cousins, other friends, and just enjoy.

No working night shifts.

No packing.

No callings.

No meetings.

Nothing.

Just time together as a family.

It was nice.

Homemade water slide...Thanks to Cousin Matt (aka, "Uncle Matt"). Who knew a tarp, dish soap, and a hose could be so much fun?!

Cousin Lauryn, Lily, Noah, Ash, and cousin Elyssa waiting for their turn on the slide.

Uncle Matt, and cousin Hailey (visiting from England) helping to hold the tarp.

Family Home Evening...Happy Faces...Sad Faces.

'Don't Eat Pete' game...a favorite! But who wouldn't love a game where you get to eat chocolate!?

Cousin Elyssa and Ash...they walked around like this off and on all week. Ash said she was protecting Elyssa. They are so stinkin' cute together! Best friends.