St. George...oh how we love thee :)

St George, UT has always been a place of fond memories for me. We started going on vacations there to visit my grandparents when I was just a girl. Now we are able to take our kids there. They love exploring the red rocks, swimming and golfing. This year we decided to explore some new things. On the trip down we stopped in Fillmore and went through the territorial state house (the original capitol bldg). And, on the drive home we stopped at Cove Fort. The spirit was so strong in both of those places...I couldn't help thinking about the amazing legacy we have and the history of our wonderful state we live in.

We also took a day and went into Snow Canyon. Wow, it is such a beautiful place. The boys marveled at the wild life we saw. I admired the amazing mountains and thought about the volcanoes that left their mark on the area. And Ty loved seeing how many ants he could squish along the hike. :)

Of course we enjoyed some shopping, golfing, a movie, and even went to Tuacon to see "Little Mermaid". It's mind blowing what they do with those productions. We were able to go swimming every day (except sunday). We came up with a new water game each day we swam. We had such a fun time.
I loved on the drive home talking about what our favorite part of the week was. Matt said golfing (so did daddy), Tyler said swimming, I said snow canyon and Tuacon. When asked what Zach's favorite part was he said, "just being with my family". I think he summed it up well!

"March Madness" is right!

We have had quite the month. It started out with a b-day celebration for Ty. He turned 5. He got to invite 2 friends to Boondocks. He also celebrated with family the sunday before. He said it was the "best birthday ever". I'm glad he enjoyed it...love that kid!

Luke turned 1 on the 22nd. We celebrated with the Kennedy's the sunday before and then the following week went to Price to celebrate with Suz and her family. Her baby Austin was born the same day (one hour apart) as Luke. They loved their Monkey cake! What sweet boys.

We were also able to spend time with all of John's brothers and their families. John's grandfather passed away and everyone was able to come for the funeral. It was a hard few days but we really enjoyed the time with family...especially playing b-ball and when the boys (john and his bros) played "just dance". SO FUNNY!

It has been quite the month. Can't wait to see what April brings.

Santa, Sledding and Sunday Best

I love Christmas. I love the shopping, the parties, the time with family, the anticipation and excitement...I love it all. We had a great time on Christmas eve singing our favorite carols and even had a visit from Santa. The boys got new sleds and had a blast trying them out. And boy did they look handsome the Sunday after in their new clothes. I think Tyler summed it up best when he said "this was my favorite Christmas ever". It really was a great one. Here's to a wonderful new year as well.

Stars Were Gleaming, Silent Night, and Away in a Manger

I am so excited this year to start a new family tradition. On Christmas Eve, after dinner, we are going to open all of our presents from each other and then have a family sing-a-long. ( I am determined to pass my love of music on to my children. ) There are some beautiful songs in the childrens songbook so we will sing a few of those along with Silent Night (a family favorite) as we read part of the Christmas story in the scriptures. I am really excited about sharing this with my boys. I hope it will touch their hearts as it has mine while I have been preparing it.

We also want to pass along our love to all of you. I had the best intentions to send out Christmas cards this year but just never got them done. So this Christmas blog will have to do. I hope you are all well. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive family and great friends. May the spirit of Christmas be with you now and all year through.

With much love,

the Kennedy's

So Much to Be Thankful For...

Ever since General Conference a couple of weeks ago, I have really been thinking about all of the many things I have been blessed with in my life. I have amazing parents who have always loved and supported me, I have the gift of the gospel and all that goes along with it, I am surrounded by good friends and neighbors, I have a husband who loves me and four beautiful boys who I adore... all of this and so much more. I just wanted to take a minute and recognize all that I have to be thankful for. Maybe this will inspire you to do the same. :)



"...if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given."
-Pres. Thomas S. Monson

Month Of Firsts

September was a month of firsts. First day of fourth grade, first day of second grade, first day of four year old preschool, first time eating baby food and first time crawling. All of these firsts have kept us busy :)

Yellowstone

We had an amazing time on our trip to yellowstone. We rafted down the river, roasted marshmallows, rode 4-wheeler, shopped, saw old faithful and a few animals, and just plain enjoyed each others company. Lots of great memories made!!