Niagara Falls

Well, we had another weekend without our stuff to unpack and I got a deal on priceline, so we went to Niagara Falls, it was beautiful! We were all amazed! The girls loved it and Jaxon was soooo happy on the Maid of the Mist (the boat ride out to the falls) we were a little worried about how the kids would do on the boat, especially Jaxon...

Kyla and the American Falls

Journey Behind the Falls

Jonas, Kyla, and the horshoe falls

happy baby

super super happy baby

Maelie and the horseshoe falls

Maelie and her "wand"

it started raining around 7 pm and we wanted to wait for the falls to light up and also for the firework show, so we went back to the car to wait while the girls watched a movie, apparently Kyla was a bit worn out from the day... there was so much rain we ended up leaving when we saw the falls light up, we didn't think there would be any fireworks that night, oh well, maybe next time!

Journey Behind the falls was AWESOME and VERY wet!!!

"Oh, Canada!" - on Maid of the Mist

the tunnel behind the falls - very cool and slippery!

our sweet blue ponchos on Maid of the Mist - notice Jaxon's smile :)

a glimpse behind the falls

The kids all loved it and they even wanted to go again today, but we didn't because we got a call from the truck, it's coming tomorrow afternoon, a little awkward that they are coming on Sunday, but whatever! It feels like christmas eve! =) No more traveling for a while!

"Thanks for the animals, Grandma!"

Love, Maelie and Kyla

THE TRUCK IS COMING!!!

My phone just rang and it was a California number and let me tell you, it felt like CHRISTMAS! I answered the phone and the lady told me the good news that our household HAS FINALLY LEFT LA!!! I practically shouted with joy and she was all business... ANYWAY, it will be here between Monday and Wednesday, they will call the day before it comes! HALLELUYAH!!!!

a few pix

out our back door

watching the rain

lovin' those green beans

4 day weekend!

Jonas doesn't have class on Friday, it's so awesome! For now anyway... once he starts his assistantship, he will probably be busy all week. Our goal is to keep it like a full time job with the nights and weekends off, but we will see how busy he gets. We actually didn't do that much this weekend but it was a nice weekend nonetheless. We found the coolest park ever! I wish I had brought the camera. It has tons and tons of trees so it is all shaded and beautiful! But there are plenty of fun things to keep the kids entertained and some nice benches where Jonas and I were able to sit back and watch. They have enough swings there so the kids aren't waiting in line for a swing. I even pushed Jaxon on the swing and he had the biggest smile on his face! And there is a bathroom there, good thing, since Maelie had to go twice! Anyway, we will go back sometime and I will bring the camera. We also went to a 2-ward putluck at a park yesterday morning which was fun and good to get to know our ward a little better.

Jonas and I like to watch movies after we put the kids to bed. It is kind of like a date night and sanity saver for us. Well, since out tv and clear play dvd player are in a warehouse in LA, we bought a few games to play and it's been fun. We bought Disney Scene it? (we have the laptop), Last Word, and Electronic Monoploy. All are fun games! Well, hopefully the truck calls today!!! If it doesn't, we are going on a trip this weekend!

the blasted truck and beware of google images!

Jonas called the truck yesterday. Last Friday when I called, they said they would be leaving LA this week. Well, yesterday they said we will call you Monday or Tuesday when we leave! AAAHHHH!!! Can I just tell you that I am losing my sanity, not just my patience! I mean, what are they waiting for? Someone else to call and say they are moving to PA so they can fill up the blasted truck?!?! We are paying you so get out here and give us our stuff! I mean, I am even missing my 13 gallon trash can and garbage bags! I had to borrow a friend's broom and mop last night because our floors were getting awful! We paid $$$ to get our stuff out here and now it feels like we are spending more money because we have NOTHING here! We were so not planning on this. If I had prepared myself for this, I probably would have been ok, but all along, they made us feel like we would get the stuff the day we wanted and the whole "21 business day" thing was just for legalities and stuff! AAAAAAHHHHH!!! Ok, I will be fine, really!

My sister put her name in on google images and found tons of pix of her and her kids and it kinda freaked her out as it would anyone! MAKE SURE your blog is unsearchable in your settings. My blog has always been unsearchable and nothing pops up from my blog. But when you type in my name I get pix from my friends blogs so I just wanted to make sure you all go into settings and make it unsearchable and you always can go private!

our little inchworm

Since we are poor college students, we got the cheap net and it does okay until I try to upload videos. So to the right is a video link to a web album. Click under Stanford Family Videos on "our little inchworm"

Capture those sweet little faces

I wish you really could capture moments on camera. Sometimes I'll just watch Jaxon's sweet little face as he is studying a toy and then I will grab the camera because he looks so sweet and I want to always remember how he looked. And then I take the picture and I look at it and it's just not the same, like at all! Pictures just don't do it like the real thing. Lately I have been thinking about how I really do need to savor these moments...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Rogers Family Reunion

This post is almost a month overdue, but I really wanted to post these, I stole them all from Travis and Kristin's blog, thanks guys! The weekend before we left, we had a Rogers Family Reunion! It was great fun! (The above pic was taken after Jakob's baptism, go Jakob!)

Saturday morning all the babies did their stepping stones

Ethan and Jaxon

Maelie and Kyla "helping" Ethan open his birthday present

Brooke entertaining all the little ones

We had an adult only dinner on Saturday night at Red Robin, it was great fun!

Jaxon came with us and we were pretty desperate trying to keep him entertained!

Looking at this pic really makes me miss my mom. I love you, Mom. You are such a great grandma to these kids and I miss coming over to see you!



Kristin bought snowballs from Bahama Bucks and the kids had fun throwing them

We had a baby shower for Katrina on Saturday morning! Good thing, since little Zac was born the following Thursday (I think)! It was so fun being just us girls with no kids (and hubbies). We had a fabulous breakfast of french toast and fruit! YUM!

On Thursday afternoon, Kristin, Shannon, and I got a pedicure and then went to Bahama Bucks, it was fun and relaxing! I am the pink toes (it has been a month and they still look like that!), Kristin's are black and Shannon's are purple! love it!

Washington DC

Saturday morning, I got home from running and Jonas said, "Let's go to DC!" So we did! We drove down Saturday morning, about a 3.5 hour drive and saw the sites. Sunday we were lazy and then went to sacrament meeting, then the temple, and then drove back home. It was great to be able to go somewhere like that so spontaneously! And since we don't have any unpacking to do yet, why not???

I am a little worried about who might occupy this home in the near future!

The Lincoln Memorial was WOAH! Seriously, we took the elevator because of the stroller and you come out and walk into the statue chamber and it's HUGE and amazing! really cool! Just disregard me in this pic. :)

The WW2 monument was so cool (it's the pool with the fountains), you can even put your feet in the water! The girls got a little TOO into it and we got in trouble right after I took this picture. You can see the Washington monument in the back, I've always wanted to see that thing, it's even bigger than I thought!

and the DC temple is gorgeous! - oh, I got our church shoes mailed to us from our hotel in Nauvoo but we forgot to take them on this little trip so we are wearing flip flops and crocs again, hehe!

connected... but still no truck

Well, we have internet now since someone let us borrow their modem but our stuff is still in LA!!! Never use Budget van lines or Air One Moving!!! They tell me the truck will be heading out this week and they will call when it leaves, I am trying to not let my mind wander to places like, "what if it never comes??" People in our ward have been very nice to let us borrow stuff so we have some things, but I just want to get settled in our new home so that it actually feels like a home!!! Jonas started class today and he is thinking he will like the program. The kids have been adjusting really well and are liking it here, I am thankful for that.

We are liking our townhome complex. There are 2 parks right here in the complex. There are about 12 LDS families here as well. It is known as Little Utah or Mormon Ghetto #2! hehe!

This is the window in their playroom, everytime I look out that window, I think, "Oh, how lovely was the morning..." it is so green and pretty! This is right after I chopped Maelie's hair off! She begged me to do it! And she is wearing the hat she picked out from the dollar store on our first trip to the mall here.

Jaxon started solids last week. He is rolling like crazy and he is starting to scoot, anytime he sees something he wants out of reach, he can usually get it in his mouth right away!

more moving trip pix

Liberty Jail

Far West temple site

Shedd Aquarium

Elder Jaxon Nephi Stanford

Maelie at Carthage

little pioneer boy hehe

MORE pix!

Albuquerque temple - Kyla jumped off this wall right after this pic was taken - there was a BEE! Luckily I caught her!!!

Nauvoo

Independence temple site

Kirtland temple

Independence temple site with sea shell thing in the back

NK Whitney store in Kirtland - Kirtland was awesome! so beautiful there!

Kyla at Shedd Aquarium

Nauvoo temple

life in PA

Right now I am in a hotel parking lot getting wifi on the laptop and the battery could die any second! All of our stuff is still in CA waiting to get moved over!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!! A little bit annoying! K maybe A LOT!!!! We don't get internet until Monday but that's only if we get our stuff then because our modem is still in LA as well!!! Jonas starts class on Monday, it woulda been really nice to be settled by then! Sorry about the messy pics post, I'm a little rushed! I think we left our Sunday shoes in Nauvoo, they have disappeared! Jonas and I wore flip flops to church on Sunday and the girls wore their bright pink Dora crocs! haha, what a great first impression! Our ward is really awesome! We had FHE with a great fam last night! It is beautiful here - lots to figure out! The girls are doing really well with the adjustment and chaos, probably lots better than Jonas and I! Maelie has made lots of friends! Love to all!!!