February Snow & California Bound!

We spent half of the month in Utah with Mom and Dad and the other half in California. We loved spending time with family and playing in the snow while we were in Utah. Spanish Fork Canyon received so much snow it was crazy. I helped Dad to the best of my ability shoveling and doing all things snow removal. I'm pretty sure I should look more toned than what I do after all of that shoveling, haha. The kids loved it!

 

Dad and the boys on Spung mountain.

Pop helped me out with the kids. We would sled, climb, dig, and just have a ball outside. Pops and I even took a spin on the old sled. It was absolutely hilarious and extremely enjoyable to watch others sled.

The boys found a fort that the older cousins and Uncle Corey and Uncle Craig made. They thought it was the coolest thing.

Everybody loved playing games with Pop on his iPad :) Jack and Dad played "Where's My Water" together and Jack would just get a kick out of handed Dad the harder ones to figure out. Jack loves that game! It's all about problem solving. 

Jack and Quinn climbed up on the snowy trailer one day and asked to get a picture taken.

The turkeys were out...so much fun watching them run up the road.

Watching the turkeys.

Pop and Quinn at the bottom of the mountain, waiting for us sledders to come down.

Jack made it down :)

 

Burying Jack in the snow. 

He thought this was so funny! He loved pushing the snow up and us piling it on top.

 

Quinn loved reading with Great Grandma and Great Grandma LOVED reading with Quinn. It was so nice having my Gram at my parents place while we were there. We hadn't seen her in a long time and the kids didn't remember her apart from seeing pictures. I loved watching them together. It just warmed my heart that my kids got to know and see their great-grandma.

Winter Wonderland!

The snow fell like a Christmas story right out of a Hallmark movie. It was peaceful and absolutely beautiful.

Watching Curious George with Great Grandma.

Preston made the paper! 

So incredibly proud of this man of mine. He had his own section in the paper welcoming him to his new position. We are so happy for Pres!

Cuddles with Great Gram

Movie Night! We watched Moana and had some tasty treats. 

Together Again!

I flew out in February to Manteca to finally see where we'd be living. I was so excited to see Preston again and to see where our new home would be. I was really looking forward to house hunting and exploring the area around us. 

Almond orchards are everywhere in Ripon, CA. It is the almond capital of the world! I loved seeing all of the orchards and vineyards in the area. 

Our temporary apartment until we figure out something more permanent. 

A view from Berkeley looking out at San Fransisco Bay. 

A view of the bay looking out from the Oakland Temple :) 

A park right next to the apartment complex. Gorgeous sunset too :)

One more California sunset...heart eyes!

I came home to a lot of cuddles :)

Loved seeing these three again. 

I was only gone a few days but these faces are just to cute. I missed them! Poor Beckham boy ended up having croup and then it was passed to Quinn. We had a few rough days but once the meds kicked in we were doing really good again. 

We went up to Angie's for a couple days to spend some more quality time with the Calderwood crew. Ang and Cor took the kids to a pet store while I got my hair done :) They saw all kinds of reptiles, fish and animals. The kids also colored with HayKay and KamJam, played with Cody man and just ate up all of the attention they were receiving ;) 

Valentine's Buddies

Haley asked Jack and Beckham to be her Valentines and of course they said "Yes" faster than she could even finish asking. Haley made them the cutest little cards and the boys made her a card and bought her a special cinnamon roll treat. They loved having a Valentine!

 

We got back to Grandma and Pops house and Jack was determined to make a maze in the snow. He realized how much snow they had gotten but wanted to give it a shot anyway. You can tell from the snowman in the first picture that there was A LOT of snow. Mr. Snowman was almost completely covered. The second picture shows a defeated Jack, haha. He got so tired from trying to trudge around in the snow. He drew a picture that he held on tight to and did his best to recreate what he had drawn. It was so cute to watch him try so hard and work with all his might until he just couldn't move anymore. It started to snow, so he just laid back and tried catching snowflakes in his mouth instead :) I love this kid!! You can see his little trail he made in the second picture :)

Dad and I on the other hand had a lot going on in the snow removal area. We were clearing snow from the roof, the deck and the driveways almost everyday. So much snow! However, I will admit that I loved spending time with my Pops even if it meant snow removal. We enjoyed tackling each snow fall together. Our bodies felt like we'd run a marathon everyday but we did it anyway. I'm pretty sure I should be looking more tone than what I do but, whatever...haha ;) I am also really grateful for Super Grandma! Mom looked after the kids while I could help Pops out. They loved their time with Grandma!

With a shovel, we can do anything... haha ;)

The deck is all clear! Woohoo!

California here we come!

All of the almond orchards were blossoming by the time we got there. It was so pretty!

Hanging out on the balcony wishing we had a yard, haha. Very different from the snow filled mountains we just came from :)

We came into CA at the perfect time! It was the annual Almond Festival in Ripon the weekend we got in. They had a carnival, food galore, and tons of booths to shop at. We had so much fun spending a Friday evening at the festival. Preston's hospital had a blow up heart that you could walk through. It was so cool to walk inside a heart and see the different parts. They had screens with questions along the way that you could try and answer. I learned quite a bit in that heart :) The staff gave the boys cute little doctor hats that they wore the rest of the night. 

We first rode a roller coaster together as a family. I road with Quinn, Pres with Beckham, and Jack made a new friend he rode with. Everyone loved it except for Beckham boy. After a few times around he was ready to be done. No tears, he just asked to stop. Quinn didn't show a whole lot of emotion during the ride. I think it was a mix between fear, questioning what we were doing and a little excitement. After the ride though she said it was fun.

Look out for car number 8! 

Pres, Jack and Quinn riding the ferris wheel at the Almond Festival. 

 

Beckham was not thrilled about being put in a bucket and then hoisted up super high in the air, so I stayed down with him and we watched. He loved seeing the rest of the crew go round and round but, he was happy to be on the ground.

The three Ferris Wheelers :)

 

Jack absolutely LOVED the carnival. He wanted to ride everything he could and even watch the rides he couldn't do. He thought the carnival was an absolute blast. The slide was a favorite. I don't think Beckham cared for the carnival and Quinn couldn't ride many things...she was vertically challenged :)

Go Jack Go!

We are so happy to be in California as a family! We are really looking forward to finding our new house and getting everyone set up for school next year. Even more excited to start venturing out and exploring the cool cities and areas around us. Hopefully we will be heading to the bay area soon! We are pretty stoked to go and see the sea lions!

Saying Goodbye and a Snowy January

Saying goodbye to those we love in El Paso was harder than we had expected. We knew the decision we made was the right one, but when you've built a life somewhere and have incredible people around you, it makes it harder to say goodbye.

Preston signed his new contract for his upcoming position in Manteca at the end of December. We were both really excited, nervous and anxious to start this new adventure. This year was starting off with all sorts of surprises and blessings that we didn't see coming. Preston was asked to start his new job on January 21st which meant we had to plan and prepare to leave our house ASAP. We decided that I would head to Utah with the kids for a few weeks while the house was on the market. It'd be easier for us not to be there during showings while trying our best to keep the house spotless and live a normal life.

We spent the rest of Christmas break getting the house ready. Luckily, I had gotten a "declutter" bug a few weeks before all of this happened so the house was pretty set. The unfortunate side is that through the decluttering process I finally got the house exactly how I wanted it, haha. And of course now we are moving, haha. We fixed up a few areas that we had been wanting to fix though.

Next was saying goodbye to friends and heading to one big celebration before we left. Before leaving we had a wedding to attend... one of Preston's best friends, Nathan, got married in the beginning of January. It was so fun watching Nathan and Abbey celebrate this special day with family and friends.

The Four Amigos!

Preston, Nathan, Tripp and Chris have been the best of friends for several years. These four are always in communication with each other, on the daily. They have a lot in common and share many of the same interests and passions. They all went to the same graduate school in San Antonio. It was so fun to see them all together for the first time in a really long time. 

I forgot to get a pic of Pres and I at the wedding so I did one after :) 

Another stop before heading out to Utah was a quick wellness check up for Jack and Quinn. Many people may find it odd but we absolutely LOVE our pediatrician! 

                   

This is how we wait :)

Once we are in the examination room we do a snack and books ;)

We LOVE Dr. Munoz!! 

  

He is legit the best pediatrician! Dr. Munoz has been with us these past four years, and has been such an incredible doctor to our crew. He helped us get through Jack's ITP, a small surgery and was there when Beckham and Quinn were born. He has literally helped us through so much in the past four years. I could not have asked for a better doctor. He was truly our medical angel! We are going to miss him sooo much. I know that I will not find another like him. We are so grateful to have had him as our doctor. 

Poor Quinnie Bear...

A few days after our check up Quinn was riding with Jack in his new car, and stood up right when Jack hit the accelerator. She fell forward and bit her tongue all the way through. I texted Dr. Munoz as soon as I got her cleaned up. He gave some advice and we were in the clear. Thank goodness tongues heal quickly. She was back up and running 5 minutes after it happened. Totally fine and not a care in the world. Love this strong brave girl!

One last goodbye, and, the hardest! 

I have been blessed with the most amazing friends a girl could ever ask for in life. Pres and I have had the pleasure of moving a few times in our marriage and each time I have been amazed by the people that are put in my path. These four right here, are angels that were sent to help me through some of the crazy times in my life. There are a few more people that are apart of this awesome tribe but have already moved on in life, to new careers and paths. We have had such an incredible bond and friendship that no one could ever replace. We can talk about anything and everything, knowing that we are always in a safe place. When we are together we laugh, talk, cry and vent :) These girls are the absolute best and I am forever grateful that the Lord let me have the opportunity to love, support and befriend such incredible souls! 

Off to Utah

Playing in snow was a huge highlight for this trip. The kids had never played in snow and were really looking forward to making snowmen, building forts and sledding. Plus, we got to see and spend a lot of time with family! Always a bonus!

I flew solo with the kiddos and realized our seats were not across from each other...hmmm. As we got on the plane I noticed a ton of seats in the front of the plane with no one in them, so I asked the stewardess if we could sit there. At least then I could see and help everyone as needed. She looked at me and hesitated, then said, "Sure. That's totally fine." She smiled at me and helped get everyone situated. I later found out that we were technically bumped up to business class without paying for it, oops, but thank you! She was super understanding and kind. It really helped me out so I was super grateful that she allowed it. The leg room was incredible too! I'd totally fly business class from here on out. Thank you Delta for being awesome! 

Preston drove in a few days later with the car for us. We were so excited to be out in the snow!

Sledding down Grandma and Pops mountain.

Snow time!

We built a snowman!!

Jack and Beckham were so proud of the work they did to make this happen :)

Jack wanted his very own pic with the snowman :) Love this boy!

Staying warm by the fire. After a day in the snow we needed a moment to warm our bodies up.

Preston came in at the perfect time. The weekend he left we had the opportunity to be apart of something pretty dang special. Mom and Dad Clark were set apart by Elder Christofferson. We are so happy for the service that Scott and Sandy will be undertaking in the Philippines. Those missionaries have no clue how lucky they are. Mom and Dad will be missed beyond measure but we know they are part of a great work. 

Waiting to see Elder Christofferson :)

A little chat with an apostle of the Lord?... Sure, that'd be cool :) 

Kai having a little one on one time ;) 

Such an incredible experience to be a part of. So grateful it worked out for us to be in Utah on this special day. How grateful we are to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

After our meeting we headed to a favorite place...Cheesecake Factory for lunch. We had a lovely lunch with everyone. It was so nice to have more time with the family before heading back to Spanish Fork. 

That night we took the kids to go and see Grandma and Grandpa Clark one last time before they departed for the Philippines. It was a wonderful time spent with family before a two year departure.

Playtime with Grandpa.

Quinn enjoyed the playhouse instead, haha. 

Off they go! 

They have officially left the US and are currently serving in the Philippines. It is so great to hear about the wonderful things they are doing in the MTC over there. We look forward to hearing from them and pray for them often. We sure do love these two and their testimonies of the gospel. 

Preston left the following day for California and started his new job on that Monday. The kids and I headed up to the Calderwood house for a week of fun! 

A week with this crazy crew! 

I had such a fun time with these people! It was a week full of fun, food, games, laughter, late night talks, girls nights and movies. I could not ask for better people in my life! I love all of these kids like they are all my own. Angie and Corey took off for Hawaii for 10 days and asked if I'd be willing to come spend some time with the kids while they were gone. My answer was an immediate YES! I never feel like I get enough time with my nieces and nephews and loved having that extra one on one time with each of them. 

So much love!

 

There was a blizzard that hit Midway while we were there. So much stinkin snow! The kids loved to watch the snow fall.

Kami found this hat that fit Quinn perfectly. She loved it, haha.

 

We did our own school time while the big kids were at school. 

 Little minds at work! Creating, drawing, writing and just having a great time!

 

A quick trip to the Dairy Keen for lunch! 

The kids loved watching the train go around on the ceiling. They also enjoyed playing trains and blocks. We sure do love the Dairy Keen :)

Jack starting his creation.

Video time with Kami and Cody! 

We stayed until the day Ang and Corey got back from their trip but had to take off to Spanish Fork. We had such a blast with all of the kids. It was so much getting to know each of their personalities and learning about their likes and passions. The littles loved having cousin time as well. It was fun watching how the dynamic of the olders and the littles. They all had so much fun and I had a ton of help ;)

Ang and Cor came down the Sunday after they got back so we could see them. We got the chance to hear all about their trip and enjoy some family time together. The boys LOVE their Uncle Corey!

Uncle Corey showing pics and videos from his trip in Hawaii. They loved it!!

January was such a fast month. It seemed like we went from one thing to the next really fast. We started in El Paso getting everything set for us to leave, then off to Utah to say goodbye to Scott and Sandy and finished up with a week of fun watching over seven kids, haha. It was a whirlwind of a month but every part of it was wonderful. So grateful to have so many incredible people in our lives.