Christmas

I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year but I'm so glad I was able to spend it with family! We had Christmas a little early at our house this year since Colton and I decided to make a trip to Idaho to see my dad's side of the family. Colton got go pro accessories and asnowmobiling backpack. I got a sewing machine and all the accessories that go with it.  We relaxed and didn't do much in Idaho but sometimes that's the best kind of vacation. Colton had never been there for Christmas before so it was fun. Jake and Karina came to my grandma's and grandpa's for a few days when we were they and that was so much fun! They are engaged and I'm so excited for the both of them! Then after they spent the weekend in Idaho, they came to our house for a few days and spent new years with us. I'm so glad they came to visit and hang out with us over the holidays. We had so much fun!

Christmas day at Danielles. 

Playing 

Seen it all done it all can't remember most of it. 

Got all the accessories he needs for his go pro. 

Ice skating

Tonight we went ice skating with the Blackham family and it was fun. I haven't been ice skating in years and didn't realize how hard it is! I remember taking lessons when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old and I haven't been since! It took me a little getting use to but it was fun. Our plan was to also go to temple square to look at the lights but we decided it was too far and the weather wasn't very good so we just stuck to ice skating and dinner. It was fun though! I love this time of year.

Great Grandma's Birthday

Colton's Great Grandma Betty is turning 94 and we had a little celebration for her today. She was pleasantly surprised and I think she had a good time. We were getting ready to clean up and one of Coltons little cousin let go of her balloon and was so sad. So Colton had a brilliant idea of getting on Kristopher's shoulders to get it. They couldn't find a ladder so this is what he came up with as the solution.

First Calf

Colton and I have started feeding the cows and today when we went we had a pleasant surprise! We had a calf! The cows shouldn't be calving yet but I'm not complaining. I love seeing the little babies and I can't wait for more to come.

Spare Bedroom

The past little while Colton and I have been looking for houses but haven't found anything that would work for us. So, we have decided that we are going to stay in the apartment for a year or two and just save some money. Our apartment only has one bedroom so I had a great idea of adding another room upstairs for our friends and family that come to visit. The beginning started off a little rough with trying to decide where the wall would be.  I had one thing envisioned while Colton had something different but it ended up working out. It turned out to be quite the process though. I thought it would only take a week or so but a month later and it's finally done!  Thanks Colton I really do love it.  It's small but it will work!

Elk Hunt

Colton drew an elk tag in Arizona this year so I was lucky enough to go with and have my mom come and pick me up. Colton and his dad have a buddy who has a cabin at Stoneman lake so that's where they stayed. I stayed the first night there then I had my mom pick me up the next day, Friday. My cell service at the cabin was really limited and I only had service in an upstairs window. So trying to communicate with my mom and giving her directions were a little challenging but she made it! I was able to stay with her at Donelles until Tuesday. Colton wasn't having much luck hunting and they weren't even seeing any elk. It was a bummer so he said that they would go out Wednesday morning and then we would leave after that. Well once my mom and I got there it wasn't long before Colton and his dad got back to the cabin too.  They then inform us that they saw a big elk and Colton tried shooting at it but missed. So, they were all pumped up after that and ended up hunting until the last day of the hunt! I had to stay at the cabin for two days by myself because now they had to go back out to find the big elk again. I had nothing to do at the cabin! I was so bored! I didn't have a book and didn't have Internet because I could have done some homework. So I was really bored! The cabin was in the mountains so it was pretty cold and had to keep the fire going all day. I told Colton I never wanted a fire place in my house because I was putting logs on that fire every half an hour to an hour! They also had one of those puzzle games so I worked on that for a little bit and I was determined to figure it out! I finally did! So that was my highlight at staying at the cabin but I did have fun with my mom and Donelles family. Saturday we went to the zoo lights and that was really fun. I haven't been to zoo lights in forever! Then on Sunday the Phoenix Arizona temple was dedicated so I was able to go to that too! I don't think I could have planned that any better. I love being able to witness temple dedications because they are so special. This was my fourth one, I think, and I hope to be able to go to several more! I had a fun time though in Arizona and loved spending time with family. Hopefully we will be able to come visit again soon!

The hunting ended up not being very successful and Colton was a little bummed but he said he still had fun. They saw a lot of animals that they would never see in Utah so I think that was cool for them. Hopefully the next hunting trip will be more successful!

The puzzle I did! 

Beautiful scenery! 

Looks like Colton is hunting real hard. ;)

Look at all those lights! It would be so cool to do this!

Love the Phoenix Arizona temple. 

Boston's Birthday

Boston's birthday is today and he had a ninja turtle birthday and got a lot of new ninja turtle toys.  During the party Colton was giving bucking bronco rides which was pretty funny to watch. So, I just had to share!

Farmer Problems

I usually always ride with Colton to close up turkeys and we only had 2 more sheds to check before we were done. Colton goes into the shed comes out a second later and says come here.  I'm like what? He's just like come here. So I get out of the truck and go into the shed to find a big feed mess! It was so crazy! The feeder just kept running and running so Colton got some shovels and the tractor and we went to work. I was shoveling feed in flipflips and all.  I was so prepared! I also had to keep the turkeys back away from the pile so they wouldn't climb on it.  Colton called his boss too and was able to come and help. We would have been there a lot longer without his help. It only took us about an hour in a half. Hopefully that won't happen again for a little while!

Small Town

Living in a small town has taken some getting use to and I have seen this many times now but it never gets old! Colton and I were on our way to the farm to close up turkeys and we came across a bunch of sheep in the middle of the road. So what do I do? Hurry and pull my phone out to take a picture.  Coltons response was, "what are you doing? You city slicker." You never see sheep in the middle of the road like this in Colorado so I just think it's funny! I just had to capture the moment.

Gardners Village

Today I went to Gardners Village with my inlaws and had a fun time walking around all the shops. I had never been there before so it was fun to see something new.  I didn't end up buying anything but it was still fun. They had everything decorated with witches and Halloween decor.  It looked great and they put a lot of work into it. I wish I would have taken a picture of a witch because they were really cool.  Oh well, maybe next time. We did ride a witches broom and the boys loved it! They thought that was the coolest thing.  It was a little cheesy but it doesn't take much to entertain kids. 

Visit from my Mom

My Mom came to visit this weekend and I was so grateful. I haven't seen her for a while since we don't live in Arizona anymore. I'm hoping one day she will be able to move back to Utah to be close to me again! But, until then, visits will have to be okay. She was really wanting to come to go to conference so I tried to find tickets. It was quite an ordeal. The bishop said he didn't have any and to talk to another guy. So, we tried the other guy and he was like no, bishop should have them. It was a little mess but we ended up getting three tickets to the Sunday afternoon session and it couldn't have been more perfect! Friday, I picked her up early, early at the Provo airport and we spent most of the day in Orem shopping. I didn't even buy anything! Well, just a Halloween decoration and my mom found some new shirts. Saturday was her Happy Birthday so I made her dinner and had cheesecake. We didn't really do much, just chilled most the day and went with Colton when he had to check the turkeys. Sunday we rode up to conference and then met my Aunt Dixie for dinner. I haven't seen her in a few years so it was fun to see her! This weekend was way too short and went by way too fast. I loved having my Mom here and I can't wait until she can come back to visit! I'm glad it will only be a month before I see her again though! This whole living 10 hours apart thing isn't too great. She needs to be just a little bit closer! Love you Mom and Happy Birthday!

Dinner with Dixie!

At conference, my second time!

Goodbyes at the airport.

Day with the Hubby

I haven't been feeling very well lately and I wanted to get out of the house. After being sick for so long you get tired of just laying on the couch all the time. I have been wanting to go to Costco for some groceries so I convinced Colton to come shopping with me. He hates to go shopping but he was a good sport.  A few weeks ago we tried coming home through the Nebo Loop in Payson but we could never find it. So, today we decided to take it in Nephi Canyon. It takes a lot longer to get up north this way just because the road is so windy and the speed limit is slow. It was so beautiful up there though. The trees are beginning to change colors and they were so pretty. I have never been on the Nebo Loop before and I really enjoyed it until I started to get sick. Since I have gotten older the mountains windy roads get me sick to my stomach. I don't think it really helped with me not feeling very well to begin with but the view sure was pretty. There were a lot of bikers along the road too. Some were going up and some were coming down but I don't know how they were going up, I would die! We went shopping for a little bit and got Colton a western shirt and cowboy belt that he has wanted for a long time now. He was so excited! So, I guess it was a good thing he came shopping with me. Maybe he doesn't mind to shop after all. =)  I'm glad we spent the day together and had a pretty relaxing time shopping.

It was so pretty at the top of Nebo.

Hunting

I rode up to Wallsburg today, near Heber, with Colton and his dad. Bryant has a bear tag and they wanted to go check the bait that he had set out. The weather hasn't been the best the past few days and it was really wet and muddy where we were. I was all prepared to go check the bait with them but I figured staying in the truck would be the best option.  While Colton and his dad went off on the four wheeler, I was able to enjoy the nature. There was a deer that came down close to the truck with her baby and they were just grazing.  They stuck around for about half an hour and then shortly after another creature came by. He didn't stay around too long and I'm not really sure what he was but it was still fun to see some animals out in nature.  I made sandwiches before we left because I knew I would be hungry so I had a sandwich and played numerous games of solitaire on my phone before they came back to the truck. They informed me the bear had been there so they set out more bait.  I'm glad I decided to stay in the truck because they were both wet from the rain and bushes that they rubbed up against along the trail.  I would have been freezing! But, I was nice and warm in the truck and enjoyed some quiet time out in nature. With no cell signal and no one else around, it was kind of nice!

Happy Labor Day

I am so glad my best friend decided to come to Utah to visit for Labor Day with her little family. Colton and I headed up to Provo this morning and it was a pretty relaxing day and we finally got to meet baby Skyler! She is already 3 months old and I can't believe it. We had a fun afternoon together though. Colton and Josh played catch at the park for a little bit while Emily and I just talked, what we do best, and played with Sky of course! Then we all went to mall and walked around a bit. We weren't there very long before we all started to get hungry. We ate at Olive Garden, which is one of my favorite places to eat, and it was so yummy! I really enjoyed visiting with the bestie today and her little family! I didn't get a picture with Skyler but I got one with her momma!

Visit from my Dad and Deb

This weekend my Dad and Deb came to visit and we had a lot of fun! We showed them around town, where the turkey plant was, where we keep the cows, the church farm, the horses, and then saw some more turkeys. There's not much to do around the valley but I think they really enjoyed seeing what Colton does on a daily basis and where we live. There are a lot of green fields surrounding us and that reminded my dad a lot of Blackfoot where he is from. On Saturday, we went on a four Wheeler ride up maple canyon which was really fun.  Then afterwards we went into town to have lunch and we made a yummy dutch oven for dinner. I think they really enjoyed the weekend here and I can't wait until they come back to visit! Love you!

Demolition Derby

Today we went to the demolition derby in Nephi and it was so much fun! I was sick all day though so I just relaxed all day in hopes of getting better. I think I'm getting a cold but I don't ever remember getting a cold in the summer before! Oh well, we still made it to the derby and it was fun. There were a few roll overs which were really exciting! This year they had a truck round which was really fun and there were a lot of roll overs because they are further off the ground. But, it was really fun! I just hope I get feeling better soon.

Birthday

Well this whole week Colton has been saying he isn't having a birthday. He doesn't want a birthday, and he is not getting older. I think it is too funny how he really does not want a birthday this year. I'm just worried for when he turns 30, he is really going to have some problems if he didn't even want to turn 27 this year! Good thing we still have a few more years to prepare for it. I had been debating on what to get him for his birthday because he has a couple things on his list that he would like. He has said before he wanted a GoPro but hasn't made a reference to that lately. So, I asked Jake what he thought and he said I should definitely get him one! So, I did! Colton thought I got him some new goggles for snowmobiling but he was so excited to find out it was a GoPro! Now, he just has to figure out how to work it! I think he pretty excited and I figured he could take it on his big bull hunt this year in Arizona to show me the big one he will kill! ;) Happy Birthday!

Rescue

I rode with Colton to check the turkeys tonight and on the way home we found a little deer stuck in the fence. I told Colton we had to stop and help him! I didn't know what to do but I left it up to Colton, he knew what to do! He ended up having to cut a piece of the fence to let it go. I felt so bad though, the little deer was just whining when we pulled up. But, Colton saved the day!

Visit from the Quinn's!

 

Randy, Donelle, the kids, and their cousin stopped in Moroni for the night to stay with us! We were so happy to have them here! We went to Maple Canyon to go for a little hike up to the waterfall and I think they all had a fun time. All the kids loved rock climbing and then once we got to the waterfall they all wanted to climb up that too! But, we thought it would be safer if they didn't so we let the crazy one in the group climb up the waterfall to take our picture, Colton. Then we toured around the farm and took them to each turkey barn. Brooklyn and Ashley were the only ones who caught a turkey! I think they had a lot of fun. Maybe they will have to come back next summer to the farm! We rode out to the horses and let Kira and Brooklyn sit on our one horse, Bonnie. Then we came back to the apartment, had some dinner, and played Mafia until bedtime. We are so glad the Quinn's came to visit!

 

 

UTE Stampede

Every year in Nephi, they have a weekend for the UTE stampede. We all went with the Blackham crew on the night it decided to rain! We bought the tickets a few weeks ago so we couldn't predict what the weather was going to be like. Unfortunately it decided to rain so we just toughed it out and went anyway. It wasn't raining when we left Moroni so I decided to wear flip flops. That probably wasn't the best choice but at least I'll know for next year! I think I'll wear shoes because you never know what the weather is going to do! We gathered up some rain jackets and umbrellas at Kris and Kylee's house it hopes that we wouldn't get too wet and made our way to the UTE stampede. Since I didn't have good shoes on, my hubby was so great to carry me on his back to the stands through all the mud. We found a spot in the stands under the rain and began to watch. We weren't enjoying the rain too much so we scouted out some spots under the covered seats and made our way over there. Then we were able to enjoy the rest of the night without getting rained on. My favorite part was when this guy came out with a wild stallion that he had trained to sit in a car with him! I couldn't believe he could train a wild animal to do something like that. It was pretty cool!

Getting rained on but we were still having fun!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! I really wanted to spend this 4th with my family in Colorado but that didn't end up working out. Colton had an interview this week and starts working back on the church welfare farm next week. We are both very happy and excited for this opportunity! So, because all of that is going on we decided it would be best to stay here for the 4th. Colton woke up early and ran the 5K fun run and took 1st in his age group for the second time in a row now! He won a cooler so that's a plus! I have to say I am pretty impressed with him and pretty proud of him too. He really wanted me to run with him but I like my sleep a little bit more than just going for a run for "fun." After the race, we watched the parade on Main Street and just kind of chilled for the afternoon until the firework show at the park. Happy 4th!

Another Year has Come and Gone

I didn't do anything too special or exciting today. I didn't have to work today so that's a good thing! I went to lunch with my in-laws and then once Colton got off work we went to Mt. Pleasant to get a shake. It was nice to just kind of have a relax day but I hope one of these years we will be able to take a fun trip or vacation somewhere we have never been before! But until that day, staying home to celebrate will have to do! We went shopping for a bed last week and it should be here in a few weeks. I'm so excited to have a new bed and hope I like it!

Fishing

 

Tonight we went to Electric Lake up on the Mountain to go fishing with the boys and the Tatton's. Dr. T is wanting to buy some land where they had their cabin to build a new one. So, to make it a trip we had to go fishing too! I didn't do much fishing but it was still fun to get out and do something for a night.

Holding Hayes. (My nephew, not my baby!)

Wrestling

My two oldest nephews love to play and wrestle each other. They are typical boys and then Jaxton had this great idea of having Colton roll him up in a blanket. After he did that a few times Boston had to have a turn. Then, Jaxton wanted Colton to tie him up so he couldn't get out. So, I found some string in the garage and we tied him up! It was so funny to watch him try to get out! He loved it and then he wanted Boston to wrestle him. I think Boston may have won the battle!

Visiting

I love when my family comes to visit! Jake came to visit and he stayed for a week in a half and I loved it! We didn't really do anything too exciting while he was here but he sure had plenty to do at the farm! I think Colton really likes when Jake comes to visit because then he helps him on the farm. Jake really likes to do things at the farm so it works out great! They rounded up some cows, fed the turkeys, and even moved some out. In between all the work they had some time for some play. We went shooting clay pigeons the one afternoon and just about every other day, Jake and Colton were on the hunt for birds and squirrels. I don't understand why guys like to shoot animals so much. I don't think I will ever understand but as long as they are having fun! Right? I loved having Jake's company and visiting with him. You are welcome anytime! We loved having you so you better come visit again real soon!

We even got Nina to shoot a gun!

Alex is Getting Married!

My cousin that lives in Idaho is getting married! Jake came into town a few days ago so he just rode up with us to the wedding. We left Thursday and the festivities were beginning Friday.  We woke up early on Friday to set up at the church.  We spent the majority of the day there setting up which took about 5 hours. Then, we had a ham dinner and got to visit with family a little bit. Saturday was the big day and it was actually pretty relaxing.  Since we did all the set up on Friday we didn't have much to do Saturday which was nice.  The boys went out shooting and had some fun on the little motorcycle that Jake and I use to have when we were little. Boys will be boys! I don't think Colton will ever grow up! So while they were off playing, I went to Grandma and Grandpa's to visit. The reception turned out really nice and I think Keegan and Alex were really happy. We took pictures, visited with family, and enjoyed the night. Then, we began teardown which went really smoothly and it only took an hour! We are so excited for the both of you and wish you guys the very best! We love you!

Setting up for the big day!

Colton loving the little motorcycle!

The happy couple!

Salt Lake

Our friends from Arizona came to visit us this weekend because he will be going to BYU in January.  So, they came to check out campus and look for a few places to live.  They stayed with us and we were so thrilled to have them here! Today we all went to Salt Lake and visited temple square and took a tour of the Joseph Smith building and the Conference Center.  That was my first time actually taking the tour and it was really neat.  Colton and I had been to Conference there before but it was a different perspective when nobody is in there.  It was really neat and we had a fun time with our friends!  We grabbed lunch at the City Creek Mall and walked around for a little bit.

It was a beautiful day to be in Salt Lake City!