Welcome Back!!!

It's going to be awhile before I'm caught up and the blogs most likely won't be in order but I need to get a post up so I don't always cringe whenever I think of blogging.
We've been here in Arizona for nearly 6 months. We are adapting and adjusting and there are things about Arizona that we absolutely love (for instance it's the middle of November and we were able to take a beautiful bike ride to the park today). However, bottom line is our hearts still ache for our home and friends in Utah. The kids had a week off of school the beginning of October and we couldn't pass the chance up. Junior couldn't come along so my visiting teaching companion was a saint and offered to come along (all her kids and grandkids live up there so she had motivation but still a 12 hour drive with 4 small kids is no small feat).
The parents all knew we were coming but it was a surprise for all the kids. My kids didn't sleep for over a week they were so excited to go. Days were spent drawing pictures of the cul-de-sac and making "play books" for all the games they were going to play with their friends. We left at 2 am and got up there around 1pm. We had very little on our agenda (all the kids wanted to do was play in the cul-de-sac) so it was overall a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. It was SOOOOO amazingly great to see everyone again. Not gonna lie I teared up more than once about being back and Junior may or may not have started applying for jobs back there (no we aren't moving, just VERY tempted because we miss it so much!)
I didn't do a great job at taking pictures unless we were actually out doing something but rest assured most of the trip was spent running crazy with friends like they were never apart. There were a few tears spilt (mostly by Kalei, when "Sister Beezy" left and then when she had to leave Jandi. She wanted to make Jeremy sleep on the floor so she could sleep with Jandi. Wasn't very happy when we told her it was a no go.) Everyone was sooo hospitable and made the trip so incredibly fun. We had a great time and will always cherish our "family" in Utah. The kids drove home already counting down the days til we head back in December.

We started the trip by hiding the kids in the back of the Shorts car. Once everyone was off the bus to gather their cookie from the Sykes (yes, the bus lets off in front of the house of the sweetest older couple who has cookies waiting for the kids everyday) we had them jump out. We tried to video/snap pics of the moment but it was sheer craziness. It involved a whole lot of yelling and hugging and jumping around with a few new kids trying to figure out what the heck was going on.

 Rach and Jandi were awesome and threw a bbq in our honor so we could sit and chat with all of our friends. This was the big kick off of cul de sac craziness. The kids had been up since 2am, not slept a wink the ENTIRE drive because they were so excited and still ran and played hard for hours. (and yes, my friend Jen is naturally that beautiful!)

 The next day all the kids had school but luckily our good friends the Simmons home school so we got to do a park trip with them. Brayden and Zachary make the cutest dynamic duo have ever since they were little babies.

 Enjoying catching up with eachother.

 Kalei with her two favorite friends: Brookie Cookie and Rachel.

 We got to go and watch Little John play a game. My boys absolutely idolize Little John and loved being able to watch him play (though they watched in about 2 minute increments than ran to play). Here's everyone waving high to Junior who was at home pouting about missing out on all the fun. We sure love him for being willing to work so hard so we could play!

Future NFL Champs!

Tavita in ready stance

 The boys love to brag about how they know a "real football player"

The next day we got to go to the firestation open house. We had done this before when we lived there and the kids were so excited to find out that we just so happened to get there the week they were having it.

The kiddos with Smokey the Bear (what the blonde hair blue eyed girl doesn't look like she could be mine? she might as well be!)

 Final little excursion was a trip to Jakers Pumpkin Patch (well the final was a trip to Discovery Park but I forgot my camera for that). Other than playing in the Culdesac, this was the one other thing the kids insisted we had to do. We've gone every year as a family and it's such a fun little patch. Greatest part, they aren't scared stupid about lawsuits and the kids can truly be kids leaping from bale to bale of hay 20 feet in the air. We wound up with quite a crew and it was a GREAT time.

 The enormous pig htat looked like a cow.

 Some of our bunch, we're missing the Gees.

Of the 1000's of pumpkins in the field the kids insited on getting one that was half green and totally flat on one side. The flat side made it "totally perfect for carving a face"

 Mattson and Taiven got to know eachother a little better. Makes me sad these two don't get to become best friends.

 We played hard all day and night until we just collapsed much like this.

First Foods!!!

So I'm a bit behind as always but back in September Taiven got to start solids! He's a big time "grabber" as in he grabs at anything and everything NONSTOP! So mealtime was always fun with him as we tried to eat our food and he desperately flailed to get his hand on anything with in 10 feet of him. We thought he'd be all over solids since he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. Things didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped (A LOT of gagging and spewing) but he's getting the hang of it and is slowly becoming a champ eater. He still much prefers nursing but has taken quite a liking to a solids. His favorites are avacado, sweet potato, and poi (only when mixed with expressed milk).
We have started all of our kiddos off on poi and followed suit with Taiven (actually his 1st foods was ice cream and bright red frosting from a lady in our ward we hardly even knew. That's another story for another time that I'm still trying to get over.) HIs siblings were so excited for him to start solids. They aren't in any of the pictures but rest assured there was a crowd cheering him on behind me.

He started of wondering what all the excitment was about

He off course grabbed the spoon the second he saw it and brought it in his mouth

 Had serious second thoughts once the food actually went in his mouth.

 Stared at us as if to ask, "What are you doing to me???"

Finally decided it wasn't too bad and went for a 2nd bite

 
 Last thoughts "Hmmm, that wasn't so bad, my tummy is happy!"

On a finaly note, just wanted to let you know how cute my kiddos are. We did a picture retake for a fathers day gift we gave my dad since the first ones were a disaster. My friend Brittany was a dear and offered to lay on her pregnant belly to snap a few of our crazy kiddos. Most of them looked something like this:

 But alas, our kids proved to be as adorable as ever!