Ready for Autumn!

Together Again!

My Grandmother passed away on August 6, 2012.  Genevieve Elaine Knudsen was 94 years old.  We got to visit her right before she passed away.  It was a reminder of how fragile life is and that one day we will have a reunion with those who have passed away.  We will meet God and our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was a happy day for Grandma and Grandpa as well, I'm sure!

Birthdays, Fundays, and summer days :)

We just finished "Birthday Season #1"  It was so fun to celebrate Eliza-Jane's birthday this year. We now have a 6 yr old, 5 year old, 3 year old and a 2 year old.  It promises to be a very adventurous year for us.

We were getting very ambitious and planned a trip to the Oregon coast.  A 13 hour drive to indulge my love of the Pacific  Northwest and to deliver to the children a long long promised "beach trip"

Eliza-Jane came to me as we were packing, holding her swimming suit and said, "Put this on Mommy, so I can go swimming in the deep ocean!"

I finally convinced Hazel and Miriam that sharks do not come up on the beach, and Jacob was so excited he couldn't stand it.

I warned the kids it was a long drive.  I told them we would get to see Christmas tree forest and many other exciting things along the way.

We began our drive with the car all loaded up and spirits were high, but 30 minutes into the drive we had 2 passengers who were deathly carsick, showing no signs of improving in the next 13 hours.  Hazel fell asleep asking if we were there yet.  Jared and I jokingly said, "Isn't the beach at Bear Lake very sandy and ocean-esque?"

We were an hour out of town and looking for a place to turn around.  Bear Lake, know as the "Caribbean of the Rockies", was our new destination.

Hazel began to awaken, and said hopefully "WOW! Now we must really be close Mommy!  Did I miss Christmas Tree Forest?"  We chuckled because she had awakened at the exact spot she had drifted off to sleep about 2 hours earlier. 

"Oh yes," I said, "We are really close now!  You did not miss Christmas Tree Forest."   I was sure that Logan Canyon would be full of pine trees :)

We had a marvelous time at the "Caribbean of the Rockies." 

Eliza-Jane did try to swim in the "deep ocean", but the water was warm the sand, was soft, and the kids had a great time at our beach trip.

The best part for Jared and I was we only had to drive an hour to get home!

Someday we will make it to Oregon, maybe even Washington, but not this time.