Recent favorite

You gotta check out this new favorite spot of mine and Amanda's. Its not frozen yogurt like Cold Stone. This stuff is healthy and good for you. It tastes more like real yogurt but better. I don't love yogurt, but I really do like this stuff!
Check it out when you are in the area! YUM

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2 Years Today

So today is 2 years to the day that Chad went on his mission. I have been thinking about him so much lately and just wondering, What if. I know..... that is dumb, but you can't help but wonder. I can't help but think what that reunion might have been like. Or what may have happened in the future. It still breaks my heart and we miss him so darn much. We have lots of good memories though and it comforts us.
This is the car that Chad wanted so so bad when he got home.
From what I heard, he really loved this little old man without legs. It would have been fun to know the stories behind all the pictures.
This is one of my most favorite pictures of Chad. It was taken shortly before he passed.

We took some balloons to the cemetary with some notes attached. Maybe hoping the wind would whisk them up to heaven and he could read them and know how proud of him we are and how much we miss him. Rachel had put these little army men at the base of the grave before she left... she said they were protecting him.

We miss you Chad and will never ever forget you!!

Healing Field

If you have not seen this, you should try to go see it before they take the flags down on Sept 15. Its in Sandy City by City Hall. You can write a letter to some of the troops. It is a pretty neat display and makes you reflect on Sept 11 and on how great this country is and how appreciative we should be to live here. Also, how much the troops are doing to keep this country free!

Feeling Sad

So, this is how I am feeling since my Kenyan kids went home yesterday! It was so sad to see them leave. I cannot believe how much they brought to our lives. Having met them, we just won't be the same. Hopefully, we will see them again someday. In the meantime, our hearts are sad that they have gone.

Some of the kids in the choir got the Chicken Pox. Unfortunately, Maxwel was one of them. He was so so sick. We didn't see him smile all day long until Brad offered to take him for a ride up the canyon in the corvette.How can you not love a face like that?
After taking this family photo, we decided to take some funny faces photos. They all thought it was so funny, they laid on the floor laughing for the longest time! It was hilarious just to listen to them laugh so hard!

Could not give them up!

So, we had the opportunity to have the Kenyan kids back in our home again! We were so happy!! We have learned so much and our lives are so much richer, just having known them. Our love for them is so real and great. We wish everyone could share in our love for them. It is actually undescribable unless you have met them. Once you meet them, you understand. Its going to be torture when they have to go back to Kenya. Until then, we just get to love em, and have fun!


This is Edwin. In Kenya, the kids don't really know when their birthday is. Edwin told us it was his birthday August 22, and he had never had a birthday cake or presents. He wanted to celebrate and have us sing Happy Birthday to him. So that is what we did. I don't really know if it was his birthday or not. I didn't think it mattered actually.


Kombe had never celebrated his birthday either. In fact, none of them had. He wanted to be sung to as well and act like it was his birthday. It was so fun to help them celebrate! We took them all on a shopping spree. Brad took the boys, and Amanda and I took the girls. They never get new clothes in Kenya. They get second hand clothes, or third hand. They were so excited to have their very own stuff to play soccer!!Grace looked so beautiful in her new outfit and modeled it for us. I can't think of a better way to spend money than on people who really need new things!!Maxwel was more than excited to get a new soccer ball, cletes and shin guards. Its so fun to put a smile on their faces!

Most Rewarding Experience Ever!

This past week we had an awesome opportunity to be a host family for some kids from Africa.

They are called " The Singing Children of Africa". They are very poor children who are here on tour singing and earning a way to provide more funds for their school and orphanage. We had so much fun sharing our lives with them and learning more about their lives. They are so sweet, humble, polite and grateful for everything. It was such a joy to have them here, that we just wanted to keep them and never let them go back home. We thought that we were doing something nice, but really, we were rewarded much more than we gave. It was such a pleasure, that we are hoping that they will return and we can do it again. We grew to be very attached to them and love them all so much! They are now a special part of our family. I get emotional even talking about them, because my love for them is so great. If you want to read more about their charity, click here, or if you feel like contributing to their charity, you can click here.

We were privledged to have 4 children and I adult staying with us.

This is Grace. She is a teacher at the school and also travels with the singing group. She is very nice and funny. The kids get along with her so well and you can just tell she loves them alot!

This is Brad with Kache. She is an orphan at the Orphanage. She is 16 and is so so sweet and kind. She is soft spoken and very well behaved. She is LDS and also bore her testimony when she came to church with us. She was very impressed by all the temples we have here in Utah and encourages us to go there often, as she has not had the opportunity until she came to America for the first time this summer!

This is Kombe. He is so cute and loveable. He is extremely funny and has a great sense of humor. When he starts laughing, you cannot help but laugh yourself, even though you don't even know what he is laughing about. He laughs all the time! He is very full of life! He is 12.
This is Maxwell. He is quiet, but wants attention. He is also softspoken, but full of personality. It took a little longer to get to know Maxwell, but wow, he is so sweet and kind. He is also very funny. He has a beautiful smile! He is 11.This is little Edwin. He is 11. He is quiet but so sweet, you cannot help but love him from the beginning. He loves attention, but does not want you to know that. He is so loveable. Amanda had fun just smothering him with love. Edwin giving loves.
It was really fun to take them boating. It is awesome to be able to share something with someone who has never experienced that sort of fun. We enjoyed just seeing them smile and giggle.