Made it

So here we are, back in good ole Cedar City! Kids are in school, stuff in storage, Ron settling in as the "new guy" at Canyon View, soccer, football and all the "normal" stuff. We are staying with my parents till we can sell our house in Layton, its cozy and testing all our patience but its working so far. We are so very grateful for the way things have played out so far, and especially grateful that the gospel is true no matter where we are.

Empty house, full heart

We had the most exhausting, but amazing day yesterday. We really didn't intend to move as much at one time as we are but when you ask the 37th ward for help, you get it! Cassie and Riley pulled a trailor into our driveway at 7am and by 7pm, it and 2 more were full, and the house was clean. I am going to miss these people who will do anything for one another. I'm sure we will find generousity elsewhere but this has been simply amazing. We will be heading to Morgan today for Brance's mission farewell and then on to our new adventure Monday morning. The kids have had a week full of friends, near and far. Kobe's friend Gabe came down from Idaho, and that was just what he needed. Carsen had a going away swim party with friends at Seattle's pool, lots of Addison time for Sydni, and Logan and Tevita lost together in some other world. I haven't even seen Tyson *except at meal time* all week :) I am forever grateful, and love dearly, our family here in Layton.

Geese

Just watched (and listened :) to a flock of geese fly over our house in Layton, crying again. That is one of the things I have loved and will miss about living here

We are moving!

Below is the e-mail that I sent out to our ward yesterday... it sums up what I've felt the last couple of days.

Hello all!

I know an email is very impersonal so I'm sorry, but I just don't have
the time (or the tears!!) to tell you all our happy/sad news. Ron
accepted a teaching job in Cedar City yesterday! Yes I know, we are
just a surprised as you are! I have never felt so many of the same
emotions at the same time before. I always thought about moving "home",
but NEVER thought it would happen, and this IS home for our family. He
interviewed at 10 and had accepted an offer my 11:30 and Heavenly Father
has testified to us that this is the "right" thing for our family. Not
easy, but right! We will live with my parents until we can sell this
house. We want the kids to start school down there, so that means a
quick move. We will pack and take what we can over this weekend and
then come up on weekends to clean the house and take the rest.

I want to thank you all for all that you have meant to me over the last
10 years (yes, it is 10 this week!!) Ron and I have really spent our
married lives here, brought 3 babies home from the hospital to this
house. I have "grown up" here in the sense that I was a very young
mother when I came, and have become a very young :) but wiser mother
thanks to all of you! I have learned to be a better mom, friend, wife,
sister and so much more from your examples. We are going to miss you
all terribly!

We love you all, and thanks for EVERYTHING you have done for and mean to us !!
Amanda

Weather

a humming bird in the neighbors flowers

We have had some crazy weather the last few weeks. Each afternoon the dark clouds, wind, lightning and thunder roll in, we get a few sprinkles and then they roll away again over the mountains. These pics are of the clouds after the storm yesterday. I've never seen anything quite like them. It almost looked like they were melting.

Change

I've never been good at change. We have experienced our fair share this last 2 years, none of it necessarily bad, but change non-the-less. Ron finished school in June and has been on the hunt for a teaching job. Just when we'd decided he wasn't going to get one, last week he got an offer. It is too far away but still the opportunity he's been looking for. He accepted a job teaching 7th - 9th grade math and computers at a charter school in West Jordan. The commute will be about 50 minutes, no we will not move. His diploma came in the mail yesterday, thus the above picture. I am gratful for the way that things have played out since he made the dicision to start just over 2 years ago, and I know that the Lord has things in mind for us the we don't necessarily agree with sometimes. I love Ron and I am glad that he will be doing something that he loves. This next month should be interesting at our house as we will start school (Ron as a first year teacher, Kobe at Jr High, and Logan in 1st grade), football, and soccer. I love my family and my life, and I am learning to love each kink that is thrown at us.

too cute

Today was another one of those days when Sydni was feeling especially cute. That happens more often than not! But today I grabbed the camera and we headed out for a photo shoot, here are the results.