I just wanted a normal picture

Zofia is the only one who likes her picture taken. Lukas will stomach it, if I'm taking pictures while he plays sports. But other than that, I have to bribe or scare them for the picture to be taken. This is Eater of 2017, all I wanted was a nice siblings picture. Jakob sat down on the step , while Logan stood on top of his legs. Lukas Kellsie put Lukas on Logan's shoulders and then went to pick up zoe as zoe lunged for Logan.

Here is the thing, I love it! They are all smiling and they are all looking at the camera. Major mom win for sure!

Me and my sister

Susan came over for dinner. And I was kinda having a hard day with the kids. Nothing bad, just too much. After dinner she took me out, just to get out of the house and spend some sister time. Of course we go for ice cream...it's how we were raised. Dad would be proud. Lol. I love living close to my sister!

Logan Family Reunion

In july we planed a Logan Family Reunion. The Sad thing was that Jeff got a job offer for Fed Ex Office and it started the end of June, so we had to go without him. My brother Randy did most of the planning. We went somewhere by the NM/AZ boarder to a lake with a cabin that fit all of us. The cabin was beautiful with plenty of space to spread out and keep us comfortable without us driving each other crazy lol.

This was also a pretty big deal because my parents had gotten divorced a couple years back, but they both came so the family could be together. I'm sure it was hard on them, but they didn't show it. It was really good to be back together again. So here are some random pics. Not even close to all the pictures.

This is Hudson (Randy and Caitlin's son). we were playing kick ball and he would only stay on the grass and wouldn't cross the dirt line. So funny. Such a great kid. His middle name is Rambo (Randy's nickname growing up and I think my dad still calls him that). I only use that name because its my favorite.

Mikie, Logan and Robbie. picture speaks all the words I could say.

Randy and Susan at kick ball

We went off roading. Randy, Caitlin, Logan and myself were in Randy's truck. such a great time. First time I have ever done it. Randy let me drive...SO COOL. Then he taught Logan how to drive and he did it for a while. Randy will forever be Logan's favorite uncle.

Lukas, Jakob and Rambo

Me and mt sister

Mikie throwing the ball at his wife Sarah. not the best pic but I wanted Sarah to remember that she owes mike pay back.

Jakob and Melea (Robbie's wife)

Jakob and allison (Mike and Sarah's daughter)

Logan teaching Carly (mike and Sarah's daughter) and zoe how to make brownies

Grandma and Jakob

Logan and grandma

We also got to go shooting. So much fun. I only brought a couple of guns because I didn't have Jeff to help, ut my brothers brought theirs. Robbie showed people how to use the ones they didn't know how to shoot. We had a shooting competition. Randy or Robbie won I think. Randy got extra style points for the above picture.

Mike and Allison

Susan and Melea

Logan and Grandpa

Susan and Kellsie

Grandpa and Zoe

The cabin had a porch that was big with a basketball hoop and where we played cornhole. Lukas wasn't suppose to play in the cornhole tournament because he was so young. So I was already paired with Jeff. But Jeff wasn't there, so I could pick another partner. I picked Logan. then a new team was made (a fake team really) of Lukas and myself. The last two teams standing in the tournament was Logan and myself and Lukas and myself. Lukas and myself won!!!!!

Kellsie shooting

Logan shooting the cross bow

Lukas, Rambo, Carly and Zoe in the bathtub after the lake (which was cold and the kids were done swimming 10 mins after we started.

Logan and Allison

Logan, Lukas and Jake

Me and Randy

me and my sister

Caitlin and Rambo. Randy, Caitlin, Rambo, Robbie and Melea went biking

off roading

me, Logan, Jakob, susan and Melea

Logan and Jake with susan

Grandpa and Lukas

off roading, I think we are missing robbie in the picture because he took it.

now we are missing randy because he took it. And we are all posing like Randy does when he shoots (see above pic)

Family pic on the last day

Last day pics

Jake and carly

zoe and susan

siblings pics (without David because his family wasn't able to attend)

Logan hugging  a bear

On the way home our GPS took us a different way (and I didn't realize). it took us 4 hours to get there and 8 to get back. a Piece of our van was coming off and dragging under the car. It was the undercarriage (I think). Logan and I stopped a bunch of times to tuck it back under, but then it would make its way loose and drag again. We finally had to cut it off and go without it. Finally we found the right freeway and made it home. It was a LONG drive. Plus it was  a thursday and Jeff was coming in Friday  to move that saturday we had a ton to do and I was 4 hours behind.

But the reunion was amazing. I had a blast. So did my kids. the food was amazing...

Story about the food. Randy asked if We would be in charge  of the food. I was assuming that because I am good at deals and cooking for large numbers and because Jeff is an amazing cook, that it would be perfect. Then I found out Jeff couldn't come and I had to cook by myself....ahhhhhh! It worked out great. randy cookied the first night and Robbie and Dad helped me with the pulled pork. Kellsie helped with all the meals and cooked some amazing pumpkin muffins that Melea loved.

i9 Sports

Jeff and I have always wanted our kids to play sports. But our problem came when the sports practices and games looked like they would take over our lives. We have always felt that family diners needed to be a priority and that week day youth groups needed to be a priority. And each sports organization demanded too much of our time and times that by 5 kids and we felt we couldn't do it.

Then at the NM state fair, we found a sports organization that had a practice on saturday, then right away had a game and that was it. WHAT? so we signed up Logan and Jakob for flag football. Jeff coached and it worked perfectly. Slowly we added Lukas to flag football and Jeff coached his group as well.

of course Lukas' first team had three kids with ADHD and Jeff about lost his mind and his stress level hit the roof. But he made it through. He continued coaching all three boys. Its a really good program and I loved that the boys could play football and not get a concussion.

Logan and Jake traded off as QB. Logan is a natural. Knows where to throw, who is coming at him and its awesome to watch. Jakob has some major power behind his throws. My favorite plays where when the ball was hiked...Logan took off down the field and Jakob hurled it to the other side and Logan would catch it. Even people from the other teams would comment on his ability and ask how old he was. Surprised because he was two years younger than the level he played at, because the owner let us keep the boys on the same team. 

I really love watching my boys play. and I loved even more watching my husband coach. He is good with the boys and a good coach. Makes it fun, but makes them work hard and has some good competition going. We were always in 1st or 2nd place. 

Lukas was a blast to watch. The kid has some moves and loves to "break some ankels" And I think that was his mail goal each game lol. the longer he has played the more I see his attention able to stay until the play is over. My favorite play was when Jeff told Lukas that the ball was coming to him and that he expected a touch down. The ball was hiked and lukas could not be found. the ball was given to someone else and they made the play. Jeff was looking around for Lukas. turns out, he ran behind Jeff and was doing sit ups to get ready for his big play. of course that was season 1. He hasn't done that since. But that's my Lukas! That kid makes me laugh and smile all the time. I sure love him!

Anyways, thats i9 sports. And Jeff was asked for a year to be an employee of i9 and help with organization, coaching when people didn't show up and being a ref when they didn't show up. He loved it. Came natural and he really wanted to buy a franchise and moved to Utah. 

So once we got home from our Utah trip Jeff and I started praying. We told the kids what we felt we needed to do and ask them that if General conference (a bi yearly meeting where our Prophet and Apostles talk to us) they would let us know if they got confirmation if we should move to Utah.

I got my revelation during the opening prayer. I do not remember what was said. The words were not my answer. But the Holy Ghost told me it was the right thing to do. And I'm telling you the answer was so strong that we should move and that we should Look into an i9 franchise and we needed to do this quickly.

That was the first week in April. Jeff got the same answer and each of the kids got the same answer that we needed to move to Utah. 

Kellsie was the only one that was struggling with her answer. She had some amazing friends in ABQ. she went to a great school which she loved. she was ranked 1 in her class. She had some plans that were not in harmony with the answer she just got.

she told me of the process (and I saw it happen) where she had to choose between living with her best friend in ABQ and finishing her senior year, or leaving with us and going to a new state and new school and leaving all her friends.  It was hard, but with a lot of prayer, she came with us to Utah and it was her choice.

Jeff started putting resumes out. we got all the franchise info and started the loan process. Most of the i9 process was hard. Nothing could be completed until we lived in the community that we would buy it in. So we had to move and buy a home and continue the process. Once we got up here another family had bought an i9 franchise a couple cities over. Jeff reached out and offered to help her run it and see first hand out it would work. We were not pleased. We didn't feel it was right to continue with the plans of buying the franchise, but we finished the season with Jeff helping, Logan reffing, and Jakob, Lukas and Zoe playing.

Jakob and Zoe played soccer. Neither had played before, but we found they were natural. Zoe is absolutely adorable and has really good ball control. She loved her pink shin guards and pink socks and show laces. And was the cutest dressed kid on the team. There were a couple kids who liked to push and throw elbows so at first zoe was upset about the mean things happening. But with a little training from her brothers, dad, kellsie and myself, we taught  her to push back and she ended up being able to hold her own with the boys.

Jakob didn't have the desire to play soccer, but they didn't have a football team. The kid is good. Good instincts and great power in his kicks. Reminded me of watching my brother Robbie play. He said it was fun but he didn't like all the running lol. Logan and jeff both helped coach that team and Logan would play goalie when they didn't have enough kids. Love watching my boys play together.