POWELL TRIP!

Okay, so I know I've been a slacker this month, but our computer has been broken. We've been having a great summer so far, mostly having picnics in the yard (2-year-olds are so easily impressed) and swimming at the Stansbury pool. We just got back from a trip to Lake Powell with my family and some of their neighbors, and it was so dang fun. That is my very favorite place to go! I LOVE it, even if gas is $5.39 a gallon there (ouch). We left Wyatt home (thanks Connie and Cami!) because we thought he would be pretty miserable there. I MISSED HIM LIKE CRAZY!! I felt like one of my arms was missing or something, but I still had a way fun trip. Jaxson kept us busy chasing him around with sunblock and a lifejacket all day everyday. He had such a blast, with the exception of the first night, where he could be heard throughout the whole houseboat (and probably echoing off the rocks of Lake Powell) yelling "I want my brother! I wanna go home! I don't want to live on this boat anymore! We ended up sleeping on a tent on the beach and he was fine after that. Here are some fun pics we took:

Can you see why this is my favorite place to go??? SO AWESOME!

Mark trying out his new wakeboard--he was working on clearing the wake and I was working on getting in and out of the wake without falling on my face (which is why there are no pics of me wakeboarding!)

All set for a "wild" tube ride

Jaxson's favorite place to be--on the boat with his very own can of pringles!


Some other fun pictures...

Swimming with Grandma Jill

Driving the boat with Grandpa

Okay, okay, so this one isn't really from Lake Powell since he wasn't there, but I couldn't leave Wyatt out! Isn't he so stinking cute in his swimming suit with all that chub?!

JAKE'S FAVORITE GAME

Jake is a little dog with a BIG personality. He's a little crazy, and playing tether ball against himself is one of his favorite games. Ummm, I'm pretty sure we owe my parents a new ball. Sorry.

TAGGED--a few times

A- Attached or Single? attached to my hot husband
B-Best Friend? My mama

Witches night out 2006

C-Cake or pie? C-A-K-E all the way!
D-Day of choice? Sunday
E-Essential Item? I always need to be carrying a diaper or two.
F-Favorite color? Blue
G-Gummy bears or worms? worms
H-Home town? Taylorsville, ut
I-Favorite indulgence? cheesecake and ice cream ( I can't pick just one)
J-January or July? July
K-Kids? Jaxson (3 next month!) and Wyatt (6 months)
L-Life isn't complete without: copying and pasting from Holly and brooke-- FAMILY and good FRIENDS!
M-Marriage date? Sept. 5th 2002
N-Number of brothers and sisters? 1 sister, 3 brothers

Family Picture 1991

O-Oranges or Apples? both
P-Phobias? dun dun dun...BEES
Q-Quote? Grant me the patience to deal with my blessings!!!
R-Reasons to smile? Watching Mark play with the boys, Wyatt's little Elf ears, MOST of what comes out of Jaxson's mouth.


S-Season of choice? FALL
T-Tag 3 people: Laura, Anne, Laurie
U-Unknown fact about me? I have this deep, driving desire to one day open my own snow cone stand. There, I said it. Now you know.
V-Vegetable? Potatoes
W-Worst habit? wasting time.
X-Xray or Ultrasound? Mostly Ultrasounds, for the past few years and probably for the next few!
Y-Your favorite food? Lasagna
Z-Zodiac sign: Pisces.

MESSY EATER

Wyatt is finally starting to eat solids, and it is next to impossible to actually get any food into his mouth! He won't stop smiling and sticking out his tongue, and the food just goes everywhere. At least he liked the spoon!

CALLED TO SERVE

Mark's brother and sister both entered the MTC on Wednesday! They got their calls on the same day, are both serving in the states, Spanish speaking, and went in on the same day. Crazy, huh! They were both so excited, and we're excited for them even though we it was sad to see them leave. Alyssa is going to San Jose, and Tyler is going to Chicago. Don't they look like cute little missionaries?!

BUDDIES

Jaxson and Wyatt are cracking us up lately, so I thought I would post some cute pictures of them together. They are best buddies! Jaxson LOVES Wyatt--he sings to him, "reads" him stories, helps him play with his toys (this usually consists of Jaxson shoving toys in Wyatt's face until Wyatt crys, but hey, it counts), and makes sure we are taking good care of him. A typical conversation at our house--Jaxson:"Mommy-Wyatt's crying! Mommy--Wyatt's crying! Mommy, he's crying, you need to get him! Mommy..." Me: "Okay! Just let me finish going to the bathroom!!" Wyatt loves Jaxson, too. He will just crack up laughing all the time just from watching Jaxson do something. He watches him ALL the time, and you can tell he already worships his big brother!

Jaxson helping me feed Wyatt. Helping. Haha.

'Nuggling' on our bed.

In Memory of Jamie

Jamie Nicole Huntsman
June 26, 1976-May 14, 1999

Wednesday the 14th will mark 9 years since my older sister, Jamie passed away. She was almost 23 years old when she died, after fighting Leukemia her first year of college and then again after her mission (Texas, Fort Worth). I think about her all the time, but especially at this time of year, and I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone else how truly special she was.

She was the oldest in our family and an awesome sister to all of us. When we were little, she used to have a 'sale' every time she cleaned her room, and she would let us all pick from the stuff she didn't want any more. I loved that! We would have a sleepover in her room every Christmas Eve. She let me come and stay with her at Utah State and we ate crazy bread from Little Caesars for dinner and went sledding on plastic bags. Even though she was six years older, she always made me feel like her friend instead of her little sister. She loved the zoo and Disneyland and Christmas lights, and hated to shop. One Easter after she had lost her hair from chemo, my mom and I brought her home dress after dress to wear on Easter. She didn't like any of them because she said they were 'dresses you needed to have hair for'. We looked everywhere for a dress you DIDN'T need hair for. When she got sick the first time, she was so upbeat and so brave and was a great example of faith to everyone who met her. All she wanted to do was serve a mission. She went into remission and was able to do that, even though she knew her cancer might come back. It came back fourteen months into her mission and she was so sad not to be able to finish. The second time around was a lot harder to take because we all knew firsthand what the treatments were going to do and how sick she was going to be. Even though it all seemed so unfair, she still had unwavering faith and a positive attitude. She had a bone marrow transplant and went into remission again, but her body had been through so much that it just couldn't take all of the complications that developed. She passed away on a Friday afternoon at LDS Hospital, and while it was so sad for all of us, it was also such a relief to know she wouldn't have to endure any more pain.

She was such a big influence in my life while she was living, and she continues to be one now because I try everyday to live in a way that will make sure I get to be with her again. It's so hard to lose someone you are so close to, but over time the Saviour has healed my heart and my testimony has grown stronger and surer through the experience. Even though I still feel cheated sometimes (she left me here with 3 brothers!), most of the time I smile instead of cry when I remember her. I feel that we were so blessed for the time we got to spend with her here on this earth. I am so grateful for the knowledge and testimony I have of the plan of salvation, and I can't wait for the day that I get to see her again.