New Beginnings

It seems strange that July--the middle of summer--would be a time for new beginnings. But for some reason, this July has been full of change and open doors of new opportunities. See for yourself...

It all started when we got back to NC after our trip to Utah. We needed to be together as a little family again. Out of the past 6 months, Mark and I (and the kids) have lived apart for 3 of them. So coming home to Mark and knowing that neither of us have any looming travels on the horizon felt really good. 

After a fun family outing to Cheesecake Factory

July 1st Mark started in his new position as chief resident. His days are full of administrative things he doesn't love so much (like emails, meetings, paperwork, teaching lectures, etc) as well as surgeries and eye exams and people interactions that he does love. He's enjoying working with the residents and faculty. The scariest thing for him as chief resident so far has been assisting/training the residents while they perform surgeries. He says it's one thing to do the surgery himself and a completely different experience to try to direct someone else while they do the surgery. Mark does work at the VA and the Eye Center, and once a week he is assigned to work at the state prison.  He has had a lot of stress and long days as chief resident, but so far so good. 

Kimball turned 9 years old and started 4th grade. Eliza started 1st grade and today is turning 6 years old. Poor Grant doesn't have a birthday this month and isn't starting his preschool yet, so he has felt kind of left out. (At least he got a new Avengers lunch box during one of our school-supply shopping trips.) Kimball and Eliza both lucked out and got really good teachers this year. Both kids seem happy and excited about the new school year.

First day of school!

Breakfast in bed for the birthday boy

For Kimball's birthday party, he asked to have two friends over for pizza and a movie.
We went to "Despicable Me 2." It was a super easy, fun party. 

Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl

Liza decided she wanted to decorate her own cake this year. She had me help her cut out two flower shapes and then she pretty much did the rest. Sometimes I'm not sure if she's 6 or 16. 

Our cute, spunky 6 year old

Kimball is in a summer basketball league, and Mark is the assistant coach for his team. We're not winning many games, but we're improving. :)

Devin and Kimball: serious body-boarders

This past weekend we got to drive up to Virginia Beach to spend a couple of days with the Driskills. Amazing scenery, awesome family, good times. I wish it was a new beginning of having family closer, but they've already gone back to far-away Minnesota. 

Cute Zach and Grant

Me and my awesome sister Andrea

The girls, Liza and Amanda

Fun night out on the beach all together
   

As for me, my first Sunday back from Utah I found out I was getting released from my primary chorister calling and getting 3 new callings instead. I am so sad to leave my job in the primary. I have loved teaching the kids and singing with them every week for 3 years now. But I guess I have to let someone else have a turn at the best calling in the church. So now I have to move on and turn into an adult. My new callings are ward chorister, ward choir director, and Relief Society teacher. Yikes. I am nervous about all 3 of them but willing to give it all a go. Another new beginning for me is having to make new friends again since so many of my friends have recently moved far away. Life was getting too comfortable, I guess, so I should have just expected the change to come. :)

So many new beginnings. So many new things to adjust to and enjoy. We are looking forward with faith and hope.

Utah Trip 2013

We spent most of June in Utah with family. It had been a year since we'd been home to Utah, so it was so great to see everyone. We had babies to meet, family parties to attend, cabins to go to, friends to visit, and all sorts of other fun things on our to-do list. Mark was able to fly out with us and stay for a whole week. He hadn't spent that many days in Utah since we moved 4 years ago, so it was awesome to have him there. The kids and I stayed for another couple of weeks to get the most out of our trip. Here are some of my favorite pics...

At the airport leaving NC

Meeting our brand new neice--only 3 days old! 

Dinner out on the deck at Nana & Grandpa's

Two more babies we got to meet

Running in the sprinklers

The Hansen ladies

The golf trip crew

All the Hansen cousins at our favorite spot in Millcreek Canyon

Cousin crazies

Grant had fun with his 4 and 5 year old buddies

More fun in the canyon

We got together with some old friends from our high school days.
How has it possibly been 15 years since we graduated??

Liza and Nana filling the bird feeders

For Grandpa's Campout my parents rented this inflatable obstacle course and water slide. It was awesome for the kids and the grownups. :)

Mark and Cam after our team races down the water slide

Me with sweet Max-Boy

Watching a movie out in the pasture at Grandpa's Campout

My niece Natalie organized a play for the cousins to perform the morning after the campout.
It was the story of Ammon and King Lamoni. 

Kylie and Eliza

We got to go to the Draper Temple with my family and do a sealing session with my dad as the sealer. Very cool.

At Salt City Burger for dinner after the temple

Another shot from Salt City Burger, since Juli and Taylor missed the first picture. :) 

Hansen family pics: the girls

Hansen family pics: the boys

My favorite shot of my three kiddos from our morning at the studio

Slip-n-slide at Nana and Popsy's water party

I love this one of Jon and Mark

More water party fun

Does it get any cuter than that? This little guy kept spraying himself in the face but he loved that water bottle. 

Visiting Grandma Lambert. It's so hard that she doesn't recognize any of us anymore, but it was good to see her and sing with her and let the kids see this amazing lady who has done so much for us.

Grant and Tanner playing spy-tech behind the cushions

My mom put together a luncheon with the Cooks, our best family friends from long ago. I didn't get a picture with the whole group, but at least I got one of me and Emily and Juli and Sara.

Snowcones at Aubrey's house 

Batman meeting his baby cousin

Spiderman reading with Grandpa

Four-wheeler rides at the cabin with Popsy

Fishing with Nana and Popsy

Chillin' at the cabin in Midway

Popsy helped Kimball make a birdhouse to pass off a requirement for cub scouts since Kimball was sad about missing his scout camp back home

Sunday dinner at my Mom's

So good to have some sister time (except we missed Andrea and Tiff!) 

We got to see Lizzy and Esther and meet Baby Sam. When the Crittendons moved away from NC last summer it broke my heart, so it was so fun to see them again. 

Visiting Temple Square with Nana and Popsy. This is one of my very favorite places to visit when we're in Utah.

At the Salt Lake Temple

Liza and Baby Katelyn before the rodeo 

The Lehi Rodeo

The rodeo crew (minus a few who had already left before I could get someone to take this). Such a fun night.

With my Dad and Juli. Just like old times. 

Playing in the Snake River in Island Park

Such a beautiful place! The perfect setting for good family time. 

My poor sick Kimball. This boy was miserable for more than a week of our trip.  :(

Eliza and Trace, best buddies since they were babies 

Even though Kimball wasn't feeling well, he could get Baby Seth to smile and laugh better than anyone else.

Loving me some baby time

At Big Springs, the mouth of the Snake River 

Fishing by the cabin in Yellowstone

Nana and the kids at the cabin

 Since Kimball was sick the whole time we were in Yellowstone, we didn't even get to go into the Park. So my Mom took us to Yellowstone Bear World on our drive back to Utah. It was awesome!  

My kids and our cute cousin Cassidy who came up to the cabin with us

Tractor rides with Grandpa (Notice the awesome John Deer hats my Dad bought for the kids to use when they ride with him... yes, Grant's head is way too big for a kid-sized hat. My Dad even broke the elastic strap on the back of the hat so Grant could wear it, and it still hardly fits on his head. I love that kid.)

One of my favorite things about trips to Utah: the amazing food. Thanks to both our Nana's!

Liza got a little Rapunzel make-up kit at her birthday party so here she is putting lip gloss on Kamryn. So fun to have little girls around.

Cousin hug! 

Cousin hug #2!

Wow, that turned out to be a lot of pictures. If you took the time to look through all of them, thank you! We're so grateful our trip to Utah 2013 turned out to be a grand success. We sure loved being with our fun families.