Exploring

One of my favorite things about moving into a new area is exploring what it has to offer.  We really enjoy taking day trips to State museums, State parks, and National parks.  I am starting to enjoy some of the beauty that the desert of southern Nevada has to offer and January is the perfect time to explore.  Sometimes I get excited, thinking about where the Air Force might take us.  What natural wonders and cultural events might we be able to enjoy!

Seven Sisters Rocks at Valley Of Fire State Park

Mouse's Tank at Valley of Fire State Park

Natural slot canyon at Valley of Fire State Park

White Dome hike at Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park

Here are some of the other natural wonders we have discovered since we have moved to Nevada:

Hoover Dam, April 2014

Red Rock Canyon, November 2014

Different is not always bad

Since we have moved to Las Vegas, I am constantly trying to evaluate if I am doing the right things for my kids.  At first, I tried to live the way that we did in Springville, Utah which I quickly figured out was not going to work.  In some ways, moving here has put me out of my comfort zone.  I have entered a world of transition; people moving in and out monthly, a ward that completely changes every three months, neighbors and school teachers that I do not have a history with, etc.  This is not the experience that I was raised with so it often feels foreign and my sense of "normal" has changed.  That is why I think I am always questioning if I am making the right decisions.  For instance, we travel 45 min each way to Tessa and Jonas' ballet class.  It seems a hardship at times but there are positive things too.  I get 1hr and 30min in the car with all three of my kids and we talk about all sorts of things.  Yesterday the discussion was about Martin Luther King and the injustices that he brought to the forefront.  Thanks to the three year old, Pants, that discussion diverged into our Savior as she said, "Jesus would not like us to be mean."  It was a worthwhile discussion where we could share our values with each other and where I could get a glimpse into what the kids are learning in school.  So, this is different from what I have been used to but not bad.

I also teach yoga and Zumba at different hours than I did in Springville.  There I did a lot of teaching at home in the morning when my kids were still in bed.  Here I teach in the morning two days a week, in the evening two days a week, and after school one day a week.  I worried about this after school class that I took because I want the kids to have free time to play and be kids.  At the YMCA where I teach, the kids can attend kid's gym together and CATCH, an exercise class like school PE, for the two hours while I teach.  They are getting physical exercise, social interaction, structured active play, and time with each other.  Different from our past experience but not bad.  I worry about Pants attending the gym child care daily sometimes but she likes to go there.  She likes playing with the other children and it eases my mind about providing her with socialization. I do not have time any more for play groups like I used to so she gets it in a different form.  Different but not bad.  Sometimes I miss the outings that we used to take during the day but I still make sure I spend two hours with her at the library weekly.  Our outings have become the gym child care followed the library, the grocery store, a park on base, or biking on our circle.  Time together doing anything is worthwhile.  This life we have created here has become the new norm and it is different, not bad.

New Years Eve at Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah

Breakfast with the Berger cousins.  We love it when people visit us in Las Vegas!

Thankgiving with the Turner's in Las Vegas

The kind soul looking out for Military kids

We live in base housing at Nellis Air Force base so my kids attend the base school, Lomie Heard Elementary.  There is a kind and very generous man who takes care of the kids at Lomie Heard.  Every year each child at Lomie Heard receives a new pair of shoes and socks from him.  The kids were thrilled to come home with new shoes in November. The other amazing service he does is dress up as Santa and gives each of the kids a present.  I had heard about this and could not really fathom this generosity.  I was lucky enough to be at the school for this assembly on Friday.  Mr. Ellis, dressed as Santa, told the kids that they were appreciated because their parents fight to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. Then he asked them if they had all been good this year. When they all screamed, "Yes!", he opened the curtain to the stage where there were stacks of toys covering the entire stage.  I was completely overwhelmed by this.  It made me quite emotional.  I could not believe the generosity of such a kind man.  The kids lined up grade by grade to receive their present.  The gifts were good quality toys and the kids were thrilled.  They walked with their toys through a line of airmen who gave them high fives.  I felt privileged to have seen such an awesome event.  There are some amazing people in this world who provide an example to us all.  

Gingerbread house decorating

"Dress like a Candy Cane" day at school

Time Out for Women- Las Vegas

This last weekend I attended Time Out for Women in Las Vegas.  It is a weekend conference for LDS women with uplifting music and speakers.  The theme of the conference was, "Inevitable Light."  We were asked to think about our gifts of the spirit and this conference answered questions for me that I have been pondering and wrestling with a long time.  Since I have moved here to Las Vegas, I have constantly questioned what I have been spending my time on. I am always concerned that I teach yoga and Zumba too much and that I take too much time away from my family in pursuit of my skills.  The conference asked us to stop when we feel happy and fulfilled.  What are we doing that moment?  We may be using one of our gifts.  Last Thursday in my yoga class at the Warrior Fitness Center on base, I had a very clear moment where I was watching the students and I thought, "I am so happy teaching and I am good at this."  I feel this all the time when I teach.  I love watching people make changes in their bodies and walk out of class feeling uplifted.  So why do I question that what I am doing is good?  I know that one of my gifts is teaching with my talents, whether that be with my physical abilities, or with my musical abilities.  And I have always been a teacher.  When I was three years old in my first tap recital, I stopped dancing to show all the other kids the right moves.  Most likely I was just being bossy, but I was trying to teach.  We are not given gifts only to shove them away for another time when it may seem like we are not so busy.  That is one of our challenges in this life, what to do with the time that we have been given.  I believe that we are supposed to use our gifts to benefit the kingdom.  If I can help someone enjoy the gift of their body or clear their minds of distractions so that the spirit can enter in, then I am benefiting the kingdom of God.

Happy Halloween!

Gilcrease Orchard- I am so glad we found this place.  Not only does it feel a little bit like Utah, but I have a place where I can get fruits and vegetable to can next year.

Bear's new braces!

Hiking at Red Rock Canyon on Veteran's Day

Eternal Companions

A tribute to my brother, Bryce, who was married for time and all eternity to his sweet bride Claire on October 18th, in the Logan Utah Temple.  Bryce is the brother that everyone should have.  He is loyal, kind, protective, and loving.  He and I were good friends growing up because we only had each other.  We were a small group, Bryce, my mom, and me.  We were tight; the three musketeers.  My mom refused to accept that siblings would fight. One time while we were separated in our rooms, we crafted a telephone with string and two cups.  Ah, the days before texting.  We thought that we were being so deviant, talking to each other when we were supposed to be apart. I am sure that my mom knew what we were up to and did not care because we were quiet, we were out of her hair, and we were collaborating instead of fighting.  She expected us to be friends at all times and even though we had some struggles as young kids, the friendship won out in the end. 

Mt brother is very rarely serious, even on his wedding day.

Ok, pretty nice, sweet, and serious

I would not be doing my duty if I did not mention some funny things about Bryce.  As a little boy, he hated peas and would slowly melt into his chair while groaning loudly until he ended up on the floor under the table.  Now he is a “foodie” so he has overcome this problem with age.  He used to bring out his harmonica and play for guests.  He would inhale in and out into the harmonica while running in circles.  This has grown into his love of music and dancing.  Poor Bryce had to suffer through all sorts of silly nicknames; “geez”, “mop head”, “boo head”.  Bryce was “boo-head” until I had Bear and decided that “Uncle Boo-head” sounded a little too juvenile.  It was time for him to grow up.  One of the most memorable events was the plum leather.  My mom was making plum leather in the kitchen.  She removed the lid on the blender just as Bryce’s little finger reached up to touch the buttons.  Plum leather flew all over Bryce, my mom, and the entire kitchen.  I have never run so fast to my room. He has not really grown out of his kitchen troubles as he still frequently clogs my mom’s disposal.  I hope this is something that Claire can help him with. 

Bear, Bub, and Pants love their aunt Claire and Uncle Bryce!

Bryce has been someone that I have been able to rely on and confide in my whole life.  From childhood pretend games and family vacation memories, we have grown into adulthood together.  I was the lucky sister who received a weekly missionary letter from Bryce.  He made it a point to write to both my mother and me weekly.  I was the lucky one who got to tell my mom that he was extending his mission.  He probably just did not want to deal with that himself, so he wrote the big news to me.  What are sister’s for?  Bryce is always the one who calls me on the phone to catch up since we have not lived in the same city for 13 years.  There have been milestones for my family that he has had to miss like my wedding and the birth and blessing of Bear and Bub.  That is when it is hard to have only one sibling.  But my children have all loved Bryce as their favorite uncle.  It made my mother quite frustrated that baby Bear would choose to go to him before her. 

Pretending to be horses at the reception in Mendon, Utah

Now I am the lucky sister that gets to watch Bryce take his sweet Claire to the

temple and start their eternal family.  So Bryce and Claire, I wish you the best start to your eternal story.  Thanks for being a wonderful brother, filling my childhood with happiness, and all the great memories that are yet to come. To Bryce and Claire!

Reception in Mendon, Utah

Reception in Salt Lake City, Utah

Thoughts on Las Vegas

As time goes by, we adjust to things in Las Vegas.  I am still getting used to the weather.  It is October 11th and the daily temperatures remain in the high 80's.  As I was going through the kids clothing boxes to make sure they have a few pants for when we go to Utah next weekend, I discovered cute long sleeved Halloween shirts.  The kids wore them to school on Friday even though it was 88 degrees.  Halloween is my favorite holiday and even though I am all decorated inside the house and out, it feels so different at 90 degrees.  I miss the crisp fall scents and the smell of food canning in the house.  I am not sure how to can here as I do not understand the seasons of growth.  I am going to make this a goal for next.  This year is all about getting settled and finding our place.

I like to ask local people why they enjoy living here.  Today I attended a Kappa Kappa Gamma Founder's Day tea with the Southern Nevada Alumni Association.  I really enjoyed talking to the women who have raised their kids here.  One woman has a beautiful garden and grows lettuce and spinach year round.  I will have to learn from her.  She also felt when she was raising her kids that the Las Vegas Strip was a great cultural experience for them.  They could visit a pyramid (the Luxor), explore an artistic conservatory (the Belagio), float in a gondola (the Venetian), and watch a volcano erupt (the Mirage).  I have to admit that I have never thought of the Strip as a family cultural experience.

"Staycation" at the Mirage where the kids saw the white tigers, dolphins, and volcano.  They did love it!

Perhaps more profound was the conversation that I had with a woman in one of my Zumba classes at the YMCA. She is LDS and has lived in Las Vegas her whole life.  When I asked her why she liked it here, she said, "I have the strip 20 min from my home in one direction, and the temple 20 min in the other. I get to decide what side I am on."  This gave me the chills.  I like the idea that I have the power to choose which way I point my gaze.  "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." -Joshua 24:15.

Las Vegas Temple

Family Vacation

We just got back from our vacation to Southern California.  It is nice being only four hours away!  My mom and brother met us from SLC.  Las Vegas is a good half way point.  We spent our first day at Sea World where all military families get in for free.  They had all the military members stand to be recognized at the beginning of the Shamu show.

We also enjoyed the Mormon Battalion visitor center which is just five minutes from Sea World in Old Town San Diego. It is a great interactive visitor center and is very educational about the history of the battalion.  I think it is a good missionary tool for the area.

Bear is dressed in Battalion gear with the help of the sister missionary.

We did spend one day at Knott's Berry Farm.  We are really just Disney fans though.

Josh is still practicing, even at Knott's!

We purchased our entire trip through our ITT office on base.  It is nice to be able to take advantage of some discounts due to Josh's military service.  I dressed Pants in Princess costumes every day.  Bear feels a little too big for that now and that makes me sad.  She was excited to dress as Elsa from Frozen though.  It was perfect to have Pants was Anna.  We had a great time at the happiest place on earth!

Meeting Red in Radiator Springs- California Adventure

Yes, we waited to see Captain America!!  He was so great with the kids- telling Bear (dressed as Elsa from Frozen) that he was afraid of her because he does not like ice.  Then he told Pants (dressed as Anna) that they had a lot in common since they had both been frozen and unfrozen.  Notice me and Bub have a coordinating shirt on.

Meeting the Frozen characters.  Notice to matching costumes.

My favorite- THOR!  Yes, he noticed my shirt.  I should have brought my hammer shirt to change into in the bathroom.  

Halloween Party costumes- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.