A Wray update and Easter

So my Wray diaries leave a lot to be desired...what do you do? There isn't a much to tell really. We are doing well here. It feels more and more like home every day. I got a job at the hospital here and am working 1 or 2 nights a week. It has been a nice cut back that is for sure. We have made a few friends at our little LDS branch and a few at work. Mostly we just keep to ourselves like we always have! ;) Dax and I have followed Robert to almost all of the ball games that he gets to go cover. That has kept us busy and has been fun. High school sports are fun to get into, especially when you know the kids you are cheering for. We went to enough games that we know a good chunk of the athletes and their families and it has been fun cheering for them. Dax is nearly famous at the ball games because he is....well he is just Dax. He is loud and crazy and in good moments completely delightful, so he has become friends with EVERYONE! He is my little ice breaker and because of him we have friends at ball games that help me keep him entertained when it is just too long, and take him to the concession stand for treats, and just do kind things for us everywhere. That is mostly what I have found here...the people are mostly just good and kind. We feel very lucky to be here in such a good community. Our little house is working out good for us. There are a few small spaces, but love grows best in little houses right? We have a big, fun yard that I am loving. We are trying to get our grass green and we are even getting a little garden spot ready. Hold your breath and hope that it works out please! I am no gardener, but we have a space and I guess you have to start and learn somewhere, so here is to learning if nothing else! Life is good for us and we can not complain (or we shouldn't at least...I wish I never complained! ) Dax is growing up to be quite the little human. He keeps us running and laughing constantly. His imagination never ceases to amaze me. Just this morning he woke up and asked if he could be a super hero today and keeps going around imagining himself doing things and saying "I saved the day!" We love that boy.

We (and when I say that I really mean Robert) haven't really had many days off since we got here. They do Saturday ball games here, so we are doing something most Saturdays and he works Monday through Friday just like regular. But, we got good Friday off of work so we decided to take advantage of our one day off and went to Denver. We stayed Thursday and Friday nights and went to the temple, ate out at restaurants (yes that is a novelty now!) and played. We had a really fun time and it just kept going all weekend long through Easter. One of our Denver highlights was going to the aquarium. It was a lot of fun and Dax LOVED it. He still talks about it. We got to feed some sting rays and pet them. Dax got a sea horse painted on his arm. We got to see a mermaid show with the scary guy from Finding Nemo (a person in a scuba suit). We saw "Crush" and "Nemo" and "Dory" and sharks and lions and treasure chests and so many fun things.

On Saturday morning we headed to a baseball game-we still can't get a whole weekend off! We enjoyed a nice day of sunshine and ball games and got home in just enough time to prepare lessons for Sunday, open Easter surprises from various grandmas in Utah (all of which he loved), and go to bed. When we woke up the Easter Bunny had definitely found us and Dax thought he was in heaven with all of his new fun things and, of course, his mountain of candy.

Easter present from Grandma Lovell

Easter from Grandma and Grandpa Clove

Cheese Ball!

Thanks grandmas and grandpas for the fun presents

What the Easter Bunny left...what was he thinking? That is way too much stuff!

When we went out to go to church we found that another Easter Bunny had visited and left eggs on the front lawn. We have met a very nice family out here named the Valko Family. They have a son, Jaden, who is a junior that wrestles and plays baseball so we have seen them quite a bit at the games. They also have a daughter, Alyssa, who is in 8th grade that Dax loves. They woke up early and came and hid eggs for Dax before going to their church. Dax loved it and it was so nice of them. We also went to their house later in the evening for strawberry shortcake and a fun visit. We really like them and they have been so kind to us since we have been here. We will for sure remember them when we think of our Wray days.

After church some of our friends from the branch, the Echeverrias, came over for dinner and a little egg hunt. They have a little boy named Vander that is just a little bit younger than Dax. They are about as different as two little boys could be, but they are somehow pretty good little friends. I guess opposites attract sometimes. We ate yummy food, found eggs and candy, rocked out at the piano (oh ya I got a piano and I love it!!! The best part is that it was free and it is beautiful-it makes me happy), decorated Easter eggs the old fashioned way, and just enjoyed the nice warm day.

I love holidays and they have proved to be some of my hardest days out here because everything holiday to me is associated with family and I miss everyone so bad at these times. But, I decided that if I am never at home for a holiday again, I need to figure out our own family traditions so they can still be fun and memorable. Dinner wasn't as yummy as mom's and the eggs weren't as pretty as they seem to be at home, but it was our feeble attempt to make a memory and we did. The few weeks before Easter Dax and I sang songs at the piano. Dax loves music and can remember songs so well it is incredible really. One of my favorite Easter songs is "Did Jesus Really Live Again" out of the Primary Children's Songbook. As Dax learned the words to that song and started to understand more what nail prints in Jesus' hands meant he asked a lot of questions and was very thoughtful about what happened when Jesus died for us and how he "woke up" and left the tomb. I don't know how much he really understands, but I think he understands more than I know, but it was humbling for me this Easter to watch my two year old be so thoughtful of the simpleness of the message of Easter. It helped me be a little more thoughtful and helped me to be a lot more grateful this holiday that I know that Jesus died for me because he loves me and my little family. How blessed I am to know that Jesus really did live again and made it possible for all of us to live again. What better gift in all the world could we be given than that? Here is to trying to remember it and focus on that all year and not just at Easter. I am so grateful for a loving Savior and kind Heavenly Father who sacrificed so much for me to enjoy my life here and to have the hope of an even better life to come. What a Happy Easter!!

Grandma...

Today marks 9 years since my Grandma Tait died. As a result I have been thinking about her an awful lot. I was in bed trying to go to sleep and not being able to (the result of working nights I guess) and for the hundredth time in the last few days I found my mind wandering to you, Grandma, and before I even realized it, I was feeling tears running down my cheeks. I can hardly believe that it has been 9 years, but still I sit here and miss you so much that I can hardly breathe! So for my own therapy tonight I wanted to remember you and writing for me is usually that-good therapy.

I find that especially when I have hard things in my life and at moments where I need to dig deeper for faith and courage I tend to think of you because you are full of faith and courage. I am feeling so blessed right now that I got the opportunities to see you be such an example of that first hand and learn from you so closely. I love so much that I got to be great friends with you!

We sang "I am a Child of God" at your funeral because you wanted so much for us to remember that simple truth for our whole lives. Tonight I feel so blessed to really know that I am a child of God! I am grateful for a wonderful family-grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and so many others who have taught me this for my entire life and continue to remind me of this reality daily. I know that He knows and loves little old me in Wray, Colorado. I am grateful for my knowledge that Jesus lives and because of that I will see and have many more sweet moments with you. A few weeks before you died we were all together and you asked us to practice our songs for the funeral-morbid? Maybe, but we did it anyway as you lay up in your bed listening. At one point I remember you saying "this is my heaven." I really believe that is what heaven will be...peace and contentment surrounded by the ones you love the best. Here is to that hope...no empty chairs!!!

There is a simple primary song that says "I wish every child in the whole wide world had a grandmother just like you." I really do wish that! I hope that my children get to have a relationship with their grandmothers like I have had. I hope that I can be even half of the grandma you were someday. I hope that when I grow up I have the faith, courage, wisdom and grace that you had your whole life. So for now, "I'll try to be good; I'll do as I should. I'll whisper I love you too." Because I really did have the best grandmother in the whole wide world and I want you for eternity! Love you forever!!

Christmas

Christmas was fast but wonderful this year. Dax was so much fun! He remembered so much more than I expected him to. I can't stand how smart he is really. He remembered Santa and Baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. He loved presents and knew what he wanted this year instead of us getting to chose for him. That was fun, but more stressful because he changed his mind so many times I was getting worried that Santa would not get the memo of the final choices and changes of mind on Christmas Eve. But, I guess you should never doubt Santa becuase come Christmas morning everyone was happy! Truthfully I just let everything stress me out too much-big suprise-because I was trying to do it all alone while Robert was in Colorado all the while trying to get packed up and ready to move. Dax and I got to spend a few days in Leamington with Grandma and Grandpa Lovell before the move. We rode tractors and made ginger bread houses and had a fun time like we always do. We picked Robert up from the airport on the 23rd in Salt Lake and man was Dax glad to see his Dad! We got a video of him seeing him for the first time in six weeks and he kept hugging him and pulling away and touching his face like "are you real?" and then going back to a hug that lasted quite a while. :) We had a fun little Lovell Family Christmas party that night. We headed down south for Christmas Eve the next morning and had more parties and fun with the Clove Clan. I was not good at taking pictures for any of these events, but we did get a few that I will add. Dax got spoiled by too many people and still loves all of his toys: trains, tractors, computer, tools, movies, and last but most importantly pirate stuff! That was his current obsession. Santa left a treasure map for him to go on a treasure hunt that led to a chest full of gold doubloons. Yes he does call the coins that and says "arrr" and "mabeys" (mateys) and all of those other pirate words. He got an eye patch and swords and is quite the little pirate! We love his imagination and how excited he gets about his make believe adventures.

I think Dax ate more candy than helped but grandma's concentration couldn't be beat!

Can you say cheese?!

Cool car that lights up from gma and pa Lovell

Trying to be a wiseman...he didn't cooperate so well

The Clove cousins on Christmas Eve with new baby Elsa!

Waiting for everyone to wake up and get ready to go downstairs on Christmas morning

The loot

Hand in hand downstairs to see if St. Nick came

Dax thought Maddie's stuff was so cool that he didn't even look at his stuff for several minutes

Playing farmer

After our Christmas celebrations packed up and moved...it was a crazy and fast holiday, but we were so happy to get to be with our families and have a minute to pause and think of the Savior and be grateful for his life. We love Christmas!

Changes...

So this post is very bitter sweet. This is the moment we have been waiting for and yet a very big moment of dread! Robert got a job!! Yea! It is great news and very exciting for him. The slight downfall...it is in Wray, Colorado. Wait you have never heard of it? How could it be that you have never heard this cute little town in eastern Colorado? It has a whopping population of 2200 and is off of the beaten path by quite a ways, it is nearly to Nebraska and Kansas and tucked away in some bluffs in the middle of the flat lands. It really is quite a cute little place though and in our experiences so far it has proved to be very friendly and fits us quite well. When we would pray about Robert getting a job andwhere we should go and where we should look, we both had feelings that we would go to a little town away from our families and go and tryto do some good, especially in a place where the church isn't very prominent. This job opening came up and we looked it up to find out that it was a little town and our "ward" was really a branchthat was 30 miles away from Wray. I think right then I knew this would finally be the interview we got and sure enough. Robert and I went out to visit at the end of October and to interview. I think that I almost got interviewed as much as Robert. They knew they wanted him, they had to make sure his wife could really handle it! Almost everything has felt right about this and we have just known that it was what we needed to do. Most things have fallen into place quite nicely and helped us to know that it is where we need to go. There are still several days that I have to reconvince myself of this, but I am trying to be brave...I have realizedthat I am just not quite as brave as I wanted to think that I was! I hate when that happens.

Robert moved out before us in the middle of November. Dax and I stayed in St. George for 6 weeks without him while I tried to keep making us money, sellingour house and trying to box all of our junk up! It was not anything I would recommend! In fact, I have told Robert that I will never again box up a house alone, be left behind ever again and I never want to move anywhere near Christmas EVER! But we made it and lived to tell the tale. Robert flew back to home on December 23rd and we had a very good Christmas and a few days of quality family time before we loaded our Uhaul and Vue, said our painful goodbyes and began our trek.

packing...

King of the boxes!

Dax and Maddie's goodbye

(don't you love Dax's headband? Pick you battles...what else can I say?)

Although every goodbye we said was terrible, I think my worst moment was watching Dax and Maddie say goodbye to each other. It was terrible! These two have spent a lot of time together in their short little lives and Dax definately misses his "best Maddie" and asks for her often. How I have loved watching their little friendship and wish we could have brough her with us!

The ride was LONG and well....LONG! But we made it and we are now here in our new home. We were greeted here by wonderful friends from our branch that helped us get everything unloaded. Robert's boss, Keith, showed up after it was all finished to help as well. I think he very carefully planned that. :) We were so grateful for everyone who came to help and welcome us. Robert's job is so great for him. I am going to work part timeish out here and will soon be getting a new job. Our house is getting put together slowly...maybe there will be pictures if I ever get it in order enough to want it documented! It all seems a little crazy that this is my life now, but I feel at peace and know that it is going to be good for us right now. I am excited to see the things we will learn and the experiences we will have. I hope I am ready for them! I hope the year we have just had has prepared us and made us strong enough to do this! We are excited and grateful to be together as a family again. That is how it is supposed to be and I am so grateful that we are forever! Anyway, that is the new part of our life with hopefully more to come in our Wray diaries!

Robert. . .

So this post has been started and sitting in my drafts for far too many months. I decided that it was about time for it to get finished. Everything is very late and long overdue, but that is usually how I roll.

So clear back in May, Robert graduated from Dixie State College! It was a long awaited day in our family's life. He has worked long and hard and we have all sacrified for this day to get here. This post should have originally been published in May as I tell you all of the reasons that we love and appreciate this wonderful guy in our lives. The post didn't happen but here are some of the highlights of that day. First is was Dixie's 100th year and as a special guest speaker President Monson came to speak. It was fun to be able to listen to him. Each graduate got 2 tickets to give to family, which isn't very many. But, thanks to a very nice home teacher we were given an extra ticket so both of Robert's parents and I could go. My mom stayed and watched Dax and brought him later when he actually recieved his diploma. I am so proud of him and how good he is at what he graduated to be. Yea for Dixie State Alumni status!! :)

Listening to President Monson

Getting his diploma

With two of his favorite professors-Dave and Stace-and his favorite boy!

The supporters...

The family

I really am so proud of Robert and all he has done and accomplished. I feel so blessed to have him in my life and for eternity. I couldn't have asked for a husband and friend for me and a better dad for my children. There are so many wonderful things that I admire and love about him. I love how hard he works for things that he wants and how he makes things happen no matter what it takes. I love his loyalty and integrity. I love his patience (especially with me!). I love his ability to see the good no matter how bleak it gets. I love his whit and sense of humor. I love that the gospel and his family come first. I love that he can dream and then goes out and accomplishes those dreams. I'll follow you anywhere Robert Cole! I love you with everything and can't wait to see where your dreams continue to take us!