Project Find Joy- {Days 90-102}

Well it's been a month since we moved to Utah. We have had some really great experiences and some struggles. This first month has not been easy but I have seen my family grow and change for the better. We have been so blessed and I'm so grateful to all the family that has helped us out so much already and continue to do so. I can't wait to see where this road takes us.

This picture is from our first morning in Salt Lake. Utah welcomed us with snow and then more snow off and on for about a week. I love the weather but my poor dogs, not so much.

First day of school in Utah. They are Eagles now. When I took this picture and registered them for school, I had no idea the joy they would find in their new classes. Both of my boys are in their cousins' classes and apparently the lunches are awesome.

 Eagle Mountain is this little town west of Lehi kind of out in the middle of no where. It's so beautiful out there with several different trails that I have really enjoyed exploring.

 At the end of the first week at Eagle Valley, Shelby had a third grade performance. They sang a few songs and some of the kids talked about why they love Eagle Mountain. Did I mention that Shelby is like the same height as her teacher?!

 That first weekend in Utah, my parents drove up for their anniversary and to see us. They took us out to dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory. Saying goodbye in Henderson wasn't so hard knowing we'd see them so soon. 

 It was also General Conference weekend that weekend. Sunday morning was my favorite session and I felt like President Uchtdorf was talking right to me when he gave his talk on living a grateful life. When you live in a tiny dark basement 450 miles from home it's so important to find things to be grateful for and to live with an attitude of gratitude.

 The kids had one week of school and then it was Spring Break week. We didn't do much, which was awesome. The kids went out and played in their pajamas and I got to sleep in. 

 We did spend the day with cousins and take a walk to the park. The weather was gorgeous and the kids where happy, always a good combination.

There is this store up here that is so fun to wander around. It's called Scheel's and it's a huge sporting goods store full of stuffed animals and deer heads mounted on walls, plus an indoor ferris wheel, a huge fish tank, and a kids play place. 

Ben's brother made his wife this grow box that is 12x12. Ben and I, with the help of our kids, spent an afternoon churning and tilling the dirt and then carrying and opening 20 bags of soil and spreading it around. We all can't wait to see the vegetables grow.

Project Find Joy {Days 82-89}

 These were taken during our last Sunday dinner with Grandpa Waters and the Gaineys before the big move. My awesome cousin Whitney was so amused by my kids and their crazy eyebrows. I sure do miss them.

 We had a fun night with more cousins, celebrating birthdays and our move.

 I have been so blessed to have so many amazing friends and I'm so grateful for them and the chance I had to visit, laugh, and eat dinner with a few of them. Thanks girls for all of your friendships.

 My last day at the pool. Gotta love the goggle eyes. I have yet to find a pool to swim at up here and it's rough not being in the water as often as I used to be.

 My mom gave me this picture of my boys from when we lived in Utah almost 10 years ago. Stryder isn't even 2 yet in this picture.

 Our last day at Dooley was incredibly difficult. It hurt so bad to say good bye to such wonderful people who have made us feel so special. My kids have some great friends and had some fantastic teachers and I was all sorts of ugly crying as we said our good byes and gave out our little notes. For the teachers I gave them little notes that read "So much of me is made of what I learned from you. You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart". And each of the kids gave their friends little notes with the quote "And now whatever way our story ends, I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend". Both quotes are from the song 'For Good' from the Broadway musical Wicked. The song really spoke to me and best expressed how we felt about these amazing people in our lives, "because I knew you I have been changed for good". I've set up an email for my kids to write back and forth with their friends and put that on the note too. So far not many have written but if you would like to write them the email is SBrownkids3@aol.com. Dooley will forever hold a very special place in our hearts, no matter where we end up.

From moving day! We were completely loaded and just about to get in the cars to start the next chapter in our fast paced adventure story. Check back in for more new tales from up north.