Easter at the Ranch

Okay, so this blog is a week late - but better late than never!

One of our Easter traditions is to have lunch and an egg hunt at the Lewis Beatty ranch on the Arizona Strip on the Saturday before Easter. We generally have a great time.... and this year was no exception! The weather even cooperated beautifully, and we were sad we had to leave early to make the trip back to Price. We had a good turnout, lacking only Eva's and Troy's families (we really missed you guys!).


I hope you enjoy the pictures :)

Easter Visit with Kenna

Visit With Kenna

During last week's Easter vacation to Washington County, we were able to spend a few precious moments with our foster daughter, Kenna.

She was a little hesitant and unsure of the situation at first, but it quickly became apparent that she remembered who we were. It didn't take her long to begin hamming it up for the camera!

Her mother appears to be doing well and Kenna seemed happy and healthy. It sure was nice to see her again; we miss her terribly! (You may be wondering why Bronson isn't in any of the pictures; he was spending a few days in Cedar City with his good friend.)

The Misadventures of Miss Krissia

I intended to post a blog last night about our visit with Kenna during Easter vacation. I even put together a cute slide show of the pictures we took with her. But life doesn't always work out as planned, especially when you have kids.

All of my good intentions came crashing down when Krissia came home from track practice with a broken elbow.

I know, I know - track is a non-contact running sport, so how did she end up with a broken arm?

One word: hurdles. It was Krissia's first time trying them in practice; it will be her last time until next season.

So after one short week of practice, Krissia's track career as a freshman has come to an end. As this is her 3rd injury since December (she also severely sprained her knee while tubing, and gashed her shin open on the pool bleachers), I'm hoping that this latest incident will prove to be the end of her "injury career" as well.

At least for a good, long while!

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

The MTC acquired two new missionaries yesterday - Kerry and Patricia Gubler, my parents. They have been called to a CES (Church Educational System) mission and will be serving in Chinle, AZ, on the Navajo Reservation.

This has all happened rather suddenly; my mom had privately mentioned to me in January that she and my father were thinking about going on a mission, and now a mere two months later, they're gone. Our family is so happy for them; this has been a life-long goal for my parents, and we know they'll be wonderful missionaries. We also appreciate the example they are setting for their family - especially the grandchildren.

And yet, I'm a little saddened to think that I won't be seeing them very often in the next 12-18 months. I'm going to miss my mother's delicious Sunday dinners, the big Gubler game nights we've had at their house, and savoring the homemade ice cream my dad served up every General Conference. I feel a little cheated that my kids won't have the opportunity to spend time with their terrific grandparents for awhile; especially Mathison, who will probably forget them due to his young age. I know I'm sounding selfish - but without them, it just won't be the same when we visit family in Hurricane.

However life goes on, time passes, and my parents will be home before we know it. I'm sure that our family will be blessed because of the willing sacrifice of their time and service as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But in the meantime......I'm sure going to miss them.

Good Luck, and goodbye Mom and Dad! We love you!!!

New Family Pics

First of all, let me begin by saying "there's no place like home." We returned to Price late last night after spending the past week in Hurricane. Our family had a great time and we're all worn out from playing with our friends and family. Mom Beatty was a wonderful hostess as usual, but it was really nice to sleep in our own beds again!

We had many adventures during our Easter vacation - too many to post in just one blog. So, I've decided to highlight different parts of our trip in my upcoming blogs this week. I wanted to begin by showcasing our new family pictures taken a few days ago by Karl Hugh, our good friend and a photographer from Cedar City. He did an exceptional job!! The photo at the beginning of our blog is our new "official" family photo, but here are some other fun shots I wanted to share:

The Beatty "lineup"

We know who's the real boss

Girls just want to have fun

Our beautiful children

Finally, here are the first "couple" photos Del & I have had taken since our wedding:

We're having a hard time deciding which one to order; I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions :)

Teething Troubles & Too Tall

So, as you might have guessed, the teething troubles are coming from this little munchkin:

After cutting his first 2 teeth with minimal fuss, the others are proving more difficult for Mathison. One of his top teeth has finally burst through, but he has three others that are bulging right beneath the gums and making life miserable. The other front tooth actually BROKE THROUGH the gums on Sunday - every family member saw it - but it unbelievably went BACK up into his gums while Mathison was sleeping that night. Isn't that crazy?? I'd heard of that happening before, but I'd never experienced this phenomenon with any of my other kids. The sad thing is that all that pain and fussing cutting the tooth the first time around gets to be repeated again. And maybe, yet again - I've heard that teeth can play "peekaboo" a few times before they stay permanently cut. Lucky us.

As for the "too tall" section of this blog, the culprit is:

About two months ago, I noticed that Krissia had caught up to my height but didn't think she'd pass me up until the end of the school year. However, the other day Krissia was complaining that her shoes felt too tight; I was surprised - her feet haven't grown in over a year, which led me to believe that she had most of her height. After measuring our feet, we discovered that Krissia has gone from wearing a size 7 to a size 8. Not only that, but she is growing again, too - a quick height check last night showed that she has finally PASSED ME UP. Not by much, but enough to reach her goal of 5'9". I have a secret weapon, though - pouffe hair. If I backcomb the top and front of my hairstyle a little, we are exactly the same height!

Just Cruising Along

Nothing particularly exciting has happened the past few days; it's been nice to be able to enjoy some "down time" and catch up on things. The snow is finally melting, and with the time change also bringing longer days I've seen a definite improvement in my mood :) Here are some fun pictures we took over the weekend:

Mathison "helping out" in the kitchen


Krissia hamming it up

Jefferson with contacts


Bronson busy at work

My handsome husband, Dean of Students

We think the baby REALLY enjoyed that chocolate!

It's a girl thing

Del is Yellow

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Yellow

You're yellow, the color of joy and energy — two things you definitely bring to everyone around you. It's hard for anyone to be sad or lonely in your presence; your sunny disposition and cheery outlook just won't allow it. The warmth of your personality shines through in the kindness you show friends and family (and strangers, too). Always ready with a lighthearted joke or heartfelt compliment, you know how to make people feel good about themselves, so they can't get enough of you. Yellow is a warm and inviting color for a warm and inviting person — you!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

TAG Personality Test.....Kim's Color is Black!

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

KIM SAYS: This test is free, fun, and only took a few minutes to fill out...there are a lot of other fun tests on this site, as well!

Watch Out, World!

Or at least the citizens of Carbon County, anyway. Bronson got his driver's license yesterday!

The original plan was for Bronson to have his Eagle rank first, but he is so close to completing it that Del bent the rules a little bit.

I have to admit that I'm very nervous today - every time the phone rings, I expect it to be Bronson calling to tell me he's hit somebody's mailbox or something. I guess it's like everything else regarding your children - you can only do so much for them, but there are times you have to step back, let go, and have enough faith to let them try things on their own. Bronson's not exactly famous for his attention skills, but last night I encouraged him to treat driving like an extremely advanced video game. If he does, he'll be just fine.

When Grandma Gubler asked Bronson last night if he was excited about getting his license, he replied in true "Bronson" fashion:

"Not really, because it means that I'll be doing a lot of errands for my parents now."

Now that aspect of driving he picked up very quickly!

Feeling Guilty

I've been thinking about the latest blog I posted on Mathison and feeling just a bit guilty about sounding so negative about him. Although the past few weeks have been frustrating, Mathison has many endearing qualities that make it all worthwhile:

Mathison enjoys crawling around with his head rubbing the carpet, creating static electricity in his hair and making it stand on end.

When Mathison wants to watch TV, he grabs a remote and and points it at the television.

When he's hungry and feels like I'm not getting his food ready fast enough, Mathison will fold his arms because he knows that we eat immediately after blessing the food.

Mathison's favorite word is "trut" (truck) and he uses it to describe anything with wheels.

Mathison can march now, although he only does it with one leg - and it sticks straight out.

Mahtison loves music, and has been experimenting with the different ways he can move to the rhythm. He bobs his head, rocks from side to side, and bends over and bounces while sticking his bum out.

There is much more to love about this little guy; although he wears me out most days, I am soooo grateful he is part of our family!