On the road again...

Here we are in Arizona and it is great to be here, slowly, but surely settling in. Our ward is great. We love our new home. I am really looking forward to staying in a place longer than 2 or 3 years! :) So here we are the Arizona chapter of our life and we are so excited for it. Now for the picture fun that will depict this crazy family's adventure in coming to this new found home!

Obviously, I am not blogger saavy, so it will be a backward journey. Our first weekend in our new found home we went for a hike and checked out some Indian Petroglyphs. We love being back in mountains. Different mountain than what we are used too, beautiful just the same.

Here is stinker #3 after the hike. She was relieved to be back in the car. She did not enjoy the hike. However, she worked very hard getting up and down the trail and is proud to sport the baby, sweaty hair look. We actually arrived in Arizona just to leave again for a cousin's sealing in Utah. We were able to manage to lighten the car load and pack into smaller suitcases leaving the rest behind in out temporary living arrangements. On our way up to Utah, we went through Vegas. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of Vegas. We drove the strip and saw all the lights and fountains. We went to the temple. Beautiful. That was Vegas for us in a nutshell.

We toured Southern Utah. This was my favorite natural bridge. Driving through parts of this country brought back a lot of memories for me when I fought fire for the United States Forest Service. Southern Utah is truly unique. It was a treat being able to drive through this amazing country with the family. Now if I can keep my husband of what used to be roads, but no longer fit for family vehicles.... I don't care if we have 4 wheel drive. I am pregnant, three kids in the back, and don't want to be stuck in the middle of no where.... :) Boys will be boys!
I have never seen the Manti Temple in person.... Gorgeous! I can honestly say this is my 2nd favorite right after the Logan Temple. :)
Arcade pit stop.... Mom taking stinker #1 on her first Go Kart ride. She loved it and so did I! It is so much funnier going with your kid. She was laughing and screaming the whole time. She would have rode the whole night. Stinker #2 and #3 would not leave the game where you hit a gopher with a mallet. Love that game. Jeans, you grow out of...arcade games (especially the gopher game, NEVER!
We visited Temple Square. I love this picture. Isn't my baby just a miniature of her daddy??
So this is not the best picture, but it has a funny story to go with it... Stinker #2 is looking at the Christus in the Visitor's Center and he was amazed at how tall the statue is. He now has it ingrained in his little mind that is truly His height. For about a week afterward, he would say mom "Jesus should teach me how to play basketball". LOL I love kids and the things that they say, notice, imagine.
Stinker #1 and her ever-so-patient cousin! Thanks for letting her be your shadow the time that we were in Utah for the wedding!
Here is prego mom with the three best kids on top of the Conference Center. The kids loved being able to be at the top of a building. Stinker #1 fell in love with the Salt Lake Temple and this is where she is now planning to marry a little boy named Owen there. Who knows if little Owen has any clue of her future plans. LOL

Here are my three little monkeys at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. This here is my favorite place. I love the feeling, the beauty, and having an amazing husband, awesome kids of my own make it even more special. I will miss living within driving distance, but so grateful we were able to make it before the move.

Nauvoo is another place I will miss that was within driving distance. What a fun place to take your family and learn about the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ. We did not have the time to go and do and see all that there is to see. So we hit up the faves... throwing rocks in the Mississippi.

Checking out the handcarts.

Trail of Tears and looking back at the beloved Nauvoo Temple.
We will miss you Illinois! We will miss the corn, the apples, our neighbors, our ward, the green surroundings, the Rock River, among many, many more things. Thank you for an awesome, almost three years!