Seligman, AZ

Yesterday we took a lil road trip to Seligman, it's a lil town north east of Kingman. It's on the old Route 66 Highway and people say it's what Radiator Springs from the movie Cars is based on. 

This week we also bought the kids a few school clothes. They can wear any pants and shoes but the shirts are uniform. So I got them both a weeks worth and they were only $3.99 a shirt, cheapest school shopping I've ever done....

Kobe really seems to be enjoying AZ, he is slowly getting to know a few people and is getting ready for a big scout camp in July. Today he passed the sacrament for his first time and he was so excited! He did very well, and I'm so proud of him.

Mads on the other hand is not loving it here, she is really missing her friends and all things UTAH. But I've told her we are in this together so it's all up hill from here. It's been pretty hard for me cuz she is super down, I hope when school starts things will get better and she can meet a few more people. 

James and I seem to be doing fine here.... Over all we feel blessed and hope Mads will come around. I know we were lead here for a reason, but I'm heart broken over Maddi. Other than her not being happy, I'd have to say life couldn't be better! Please keep her in your prayers.

My job is a lot to learn but I think with a lil more time I'll have it. I went to the gym for the first time this week and it killed me, I'm still sore! We also got asked to speak in church in July so I've got a lil anxiety about that... I also got assigned to go visiting teaching, my partner is from Lehi, UT and her hubby works with James. 

That about sums up our week... Hope all is well with all of you! Love you all! 

P.S. I really am missing all my lil nieces and nephews! I miss the big ones too, but I love the little ones cute lil faces and would love to hear their lil voices...

F.H.E

James has to work nights every other week, so I decided the week he is on days we will do F.H.E. So this last week for family night we took a lil drive up to the Hualapai mountains... Mind you the mountians in AZ are nothing like the UTAH mountains. But we did see this elk, it was pretty cool! Then I gave a lil message and we ended the night with ice cream at a cute lil ice cream parlor in old Kingman.

Here is Chef Kobe...

So here at the Hales house we kinda like to sleep in til 8 sometimes 9 and maybe 10 if we've had a late night.... Well that is everyone but KOBE! He has always been an early bird and it doesn't matter if he goes to bed at 9 or is up til midnight he is always awake before 7:00. Usually when I get up, I find him watching his favorite shows on Food Network, his favorite is Pioneer Woman.

So this last week he tells me he is going to one day have a show called "Home Town Desserts" (yep he's defiantly my boy)... He says he wants to cook 2 times a week and he doesn't want me to help... He says mom I've got this. His 1st attempt was no bake cookies and he did GREAT! 

When he started I told him it was a gas stove and gets hot a lot faster so he need to be careful so he didn't burn the butter. He said... Mom I know what I'm  doing, I've watched it on my shows. He did perfect!

Meet Barry the Betta

So Kobe was dying to get a lizzard and kept asking and asking.... Finally I said we could go look but if they were a lot of money then I would not get one! Well the cheapest one was $30 then by the time you got all the shiz to go with it, it would of been well over $100. So I said NO! So then he thought he wanted a fish..... So here he is!  BARRY!

Over all James wasn't that impressed, but he did help Kobe get his bowl all fixed up. So we are going to see how things go with Barry and if all goes well we will get a bigger tank and different fish.

But before that Maddi is pretty set on getting a turtle.... Idk about throwing down $130 just for the turtle not to mention all the habitat stuff. Stay tuned to see if she gets her wish....

P.S.

This is how I'll/ we will be spending my days off! 

LIFE IS GOOD! 

This is totally like a dream come true for me....

Can't wait for each one of you to come enjoy it with us! Cheers to the future! :)

We made it!

We finally made it to our new destination, we will now call HOME! We arrived around 5 PM on June 6th. We have been busy organizing and putting things away. Our house is beginning to look and feel more like a home. :) 

James had been going to the Boulder Springs Ward here in Kingman and fell in love with the people. So when we started looking for houses we really tried to find one in their ward boundaries. But there was no such luck! Last week we went as a family to the Boulder Springs Ward in hopes the bishop would allow us to keep going there. He said it would be better if we went to the ward our house was in and if we wanted to continue going we'd have to get it approved by the First Presidency. That sounded like a lil too much work just to go to church in a ward of our choice. So we decided to go to our "real" ward, so today was our 1st Sunday @ the White Cliffs Ward. It seemed a lil different but so don't all wards when you are new.... So I think it will grow on us and we will learn to love the people.

So far things have been going good.... Maddi has had a few sad days but over all done well. Kobe is just happy to be with his dad again and is dying to get to know some boys his age. It really is an adjustment, but I think we will do fine with a lil more time.

I got offered a job from a friend who works as an appraiser. It's part time and so far it seems to be good... But let's face it nothing will ever be as good as my Vulcraft job! :( I'll just be working 20 hours a week, it will be nice to be home! I'm excited and blessed to have this opportunity. I'll be sitting up files and answering phones, so I think I'll be able to handle it. 

We are super happy to be back together as a family! It almost feels like a dream.... We defiantly have been blessed and guided to where we are today. And I'm more than grateful for all the prayers that have been answered over the last year. It seems so unreal! I know it will be challenging and we will all have hard days and miss our friends and family back in Utah. But I know we are here for a reason and not just by chance. 

I will defiantly miss all my cute lil nieces and nephews and watching them grow. Breaks my heart just thinking about it. But I'm grateful to be able to see their cute lil faces and accomplishments through technology. 

Love you all! 

Our last few days in UTAH

Our last few days here have been crazy, busy, fun, sad, emotional.... You name it I think we have felt every emotion possible. My kids have been strong but the last few days have been tough! 

My mom and sisters took me to dinner one last time, we had a good time as usual. I sure love each and everyone of them. I'm thankful for my moms example in the gospel and of love and nurturing. I'm grateful that for the most part we always get along and are there for each other.

Aunt B wanted us to get a pic of the 3 cousin friends that are the same age.... So here it is! 

Kobe sure is going to miss Aunt B and her boys... He and Car have been starting to go their own ways over the last year as they've gotten older, but Kobe sure is going to miss him!

And he will sure miss our lil man Bob! P sure loves both these cousin friends....

a special day...

Yesterday these 2 got to go with Grandma Lynn to the Brigham City Temple to do baptisms for the dead. My mom had found a few family names on my grandpa Kent's side that hadn't been baptized. It was Kobe's 1st time to do them, they were both happy to go and I'm proud of them for making good choices and being able to. 

Kobe really wants to be able to go to the SLC Temple some day and Maddi wants to be able to go to the San Diego Temple.... I hope over the next few years we will be able to get to both these temples.

Happy Birthday To....

This handsome boy of ours! 

All Kobe wanted for his bday was 6 dozen doughnut wholes from the Pie a Dump! LoL So we started his day off there... James was able to come home for the weekend so Kobe wanted to go to Boondocks with just him and his dad! James said Kobe was in heaven while they were there. Maddi and I stayed home and made red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for his family party that night. Then grandma Lynn made homemade spaghetti and breadsticks for dinner. ( that was Kobe's request)

Not only did we celebrate his birthday, he also turned 12 and was able to have his dad ordain him as a Decon on Sunday. It was a special day and he had lots of love and support from family. I'm so proud of my tiny lil man.