12 Years/12 Week: Week 2 Our 1st House

Another blessing that came to our family because we came down here to Sierra Vista, AZ was we were able to afford and purchase our first house.  It was through some amazing people that this came to be especially a wonderful relator, who unknown to us until years later waived many fees to help us fund this home. 

This home is where many great memories were made, where Braxton grew from a little kid to a boy, where wonderful lasting friendships were made with amazing neighbors.  It is where the Lord granted us the miracle of one more child so that Megan could join our family and where we were able to share a common love for Jesus Christ with a sweet neighbor as she breathed her last breath.

It is where Braxton finally learned to ride a bike

where Megan said good bye to her binky

Where we received our first toilet papering from Seminary kids   (not to be our last)

and who could forget our one and only snowman in Arizona.

IT WAS A GREAT 1st HOME

We will miss being able to drive by and watch the palm tree grow.

12 years/12 weeks: Our Amazing Arizona Memories

So I realized today that we have 12 weeks left here in Sierra Vista and we will have been here for 12 years.  So I thought it would be fun to document 12 amazing memories of this place we have called home.   So here we go. . . . . .

 

#1  Fried Chicken Picnic and Fireworks with Amazing People

It would be fitting to start with the fist day we arrived here in Sierra Vista.  Brian had come a month earlier, but Braxton and I had stayed in Utah to help with a wedding so we arrived here on July 4, 2001.  It had been a long month without Brain and then a very long, long drive to get here.  I was ready to just relax when Brain announced that we had been invited by the Thornburgs to the fireworks. So we packed up and headed off to the soccer fields.  Little did I know that this would begin our first and my most favorite family tradition.  It also was the beginning of realizing that even when you are far far away from family the gospel provides an amazing family to fall back on. 

A Special Thank You to the Thornburg family for making our 1st day in Sierra Vista AMAZING!

Nothing beats PoFolk Chicken and Niagra Falls. 

2001

2002

Brian even added to the tradition the next year buy making Homemade Root Beer for all the seminary kids and friends who stopped by to just say Hi.

2007

Niagara Falls

We are going to miss the amazing fireworks here, but even more all the friends we get to see each year at the biggest, best picnic I have ever been on.

Halloween In Arizona

Pumpkin Carving:

Outside because it is 90 degrees

and a lot less messy

Braxton getting ready for the

Ghost Shooting Gallery at Trunk-Or-Treat

Arizona style in shorts and flip flops

My first Homemade costume

She loved it, but when your trick or treating in Arizona and 90 degrees

this costume can be a little too hot.

Megan checking out her loot. 

When you acquire 7 lb. of candy, because you live in a retirement community and all the old people love giving your kid handfuls of candy, it is time to share.

FALL

So we haven’t been super good at updating lately, but here is what has been going on in Arizona this fall.

We attended the annual Art in The Park and only come home with this.

We went to Apple Annie’s with Beth’s family over fall break and had fun picking pumpkins and getting lost in a corn maze.

Megan and I had a fun Halloween Craft Saturday.  We learned you can do lots with just a 2x4 and some odds and ends around the house.

Next up Halloween, stayed tuned to see my first ever home made costume.

Summer Fun

This summer we traveled 72 hours in the car, circled through every state around Nevada, some we hit twice and had a wonderful time with all our family.

1st stop: Lincoln City Oregon

The Manwaring Family Reunion.  Where we had lot’s of fun playing in the ocean and enjoying some sweatshirt weather.

The view out our condo window, so beautiful.

4th of July crafts with aunt Josie & sight seeing old lighthouses.

 

Cousin time and tide pools

 

Fun Family Night with Grandma Ginny

2nd Stop:  The Boise Green Belt

We intended to stop and do some biking on the Boise green belt, but only 5 min. on the trail and we ended up with lot’s of scratched and one broken arm.

Ami stayed by Megs side through lots of dr. office waiting time. That’s true cousin love.

Dinner entertainment after a long day.

3rd Stop: Aunt Rooie’s for a Perm.

4th stop: Utah

More cousin fun!

Visiting my favorite Grandpa and Grandma Hirschi

5th Stop: Red Fish Lake

climbing on the logs

taking a tour of the kids dragon museum

Finally heading home

Toe swimming at the hotel.  Poor Girl =(

Megan’s new man.  I think he is a keeper!

Summer Goals Accomplished

This summer I had two goals:

#1 Super clean the entire house.

#2 Make the kids Levi quilts.

So I am happy to say that as we cleaned the garage this morning goal # 1 was accomplished.  One entire house all clean and just before our vacation. It will be so nice to start this school year off with a very clean house.

As for goal #2 here is the proof.  Two Levi quilts all done, and I still have enough Levis left to make me and Brian each one too.

Megan also accomplished a great feat this summer.  She jumped off the high dive at the pool.  Her next goal is to do it without the life jacket.