wedding frenzy...

we made a quick stop in st. george to rest and relax, but mostly to catch up with great grandma cook and grandma crowfoot (who had happened to be visiting then). so, in true crowfoot fashion, we laughed, we ate, and we caravanned back up to provo.

on our way up, i caught samiyah tormenting her older, sleeping, sister.

playing with her hair.

giving hugs.

more hugs...

and making sure she's comfy for the rest of her sleep.

on the drive up, we saw the mountains on fire. :(

we made it back to provo just in time for sam's cousin's wedding.

isn't she a beauty? it's so crazy that she's married now. i remember going over to their house and sam would be helping her with her high school homework. ;)

cousins.

the wedding was beautifully done. everything was so simplistically elegant. the food was to die for! but the best part about weddings are all the familiar faces. it was great to catch up with all the crowfoot side.  

the bride's beautiful ring.

forget lines and utensils! this little girl was snatching food from the tables (mostly the dessert table), nonstop. i don't blame her, though. mini crepes and whipped cream?! yes!

and this little guy was being passed around like a hot potato. ;) yeah, we was pretty popular. 

oh goodness, this face just melts me.

a round of basketball was in order after all the partying. the little yellow spot is mimzy, still in her party dress, running her little legs out.

grand, indeed.

it's always sad to say goodbye. 

we had a lovely visit. too short, but wonderful, just the same.

we're gonna have to get the larger version as soon as we find out where we are moving.

since living in wisconsin, we've made 3 trips out west and each time we always ran out of time to visit the grand canyon. the last time i had been to the grand canyon was as a baby with my brother, aaron. i was determined to go back and see it with my adult eyes...well, and with this little guy in tow.

it was breathtaking, just like i knew it would be.

the world is so amazing.

but, even an amazing view can be terrifying...

the peaceful and majestic canyon was just what i needed to remind myself of God's greatness.

i also found this gem on my phone. apparently, we can't forget elmo...

today i am grateful for:

*the beauty that surrounds me.

*friendly strangers.

*roadtrips.

ice cream makes everything better...

unfortunately, our time in window rock was winding down. we were only here for a week since my parents were on their way to colorado this weekend. 

we had to cram in as much fun as we could in the short amount of time we had.

the weather was nice and warm, perfect for walking to the pool and taking a dip.

makayah pointed out this lovely cactus and begged us to take a picture of it.

we are so grateful to have this place to swim any time we want.

mimzy is still learning to swim, but felt more secure and free to float around the pool with all her "safety precautions."

mosiah's first time swimming with daddy.

he seemed to enjoy himself...

he wasn't too crazy about being on his back in the water, though. his whole body would go stiff and he'd try to crunch back up.

makayah loves any excuse to use water toys, especially her "scuba" mask.

isaiah, jumping and being the daredevil of the group.

it was really fun swimming as a family. we played marco polo, and swim shark (tag), and just enjoyed the cool water. 

floaties are fun, thanks to the dollar section in walmart. 

after swimming, we dressed up and headed for town. we couldn't pass up on going to our favorite southwest restaurant.

living in wisconsin, we don't get quality southwestern food like this...obviously. ;)

samiyah was freaking out about getting ice cream. she had the hugest smile on her face, jumping up and down, clapping her hands, "YAY! YAY! YAY!"

ice cream in her tummy. happy mimz.

i had to take two pictures of her, she was just too cute.

my handsome little man. i'm loving his long hair.

makayah, the entertainer, showing off her tea pot dance. my gorgeous girl.

my handsome man.

sam just had to take this photo of the ridiculous sign.

gallup city streets.

rain threatening skies.

the kids have so much fun shooing the cows away from our yard.

mimzy did a fabulous job of scaring them away. ;)

it was a beautiful evening in st. michaal's today. today was perfect.

today i am grateful for:

*my kids. i can't be thankful enough for them.

*my husband and how he loves spending time with us.

*beautiful arizona sunsets.