Monroe

We had a great trip to Monroe. We started off with a weekend with the Gerhauser/Day families. We went four-wheeling Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We had an exciting trip thanks to the Day's! Between broken four-wheelers, lost cousins, and a couple of crashes, we stayed on our toes.
One of the days we stopped by Hoover's for dinner after riding through the mountains. There was plenty of time to take goofy pictures while we waited for our food for forever. In Makelle's words, "HELLO, I want my water now!" It's probably the only restaurant that would let us all in looking the way we did.
After going home for a day, I (this is Lindsey again) got to go back down to Monroe with my parents and play for a couple more days. We played at the park, went bowling, had ice cream, and played outside in the trailer. We had tons of fun and I am so glad that I got to spend a little more time with the kiddo's and John and Ash.

The kids were great bowlers. All three beat Ashley and Grandpa!

We wish we could have stayed down there longer and that John's family lived closer! I had a great couple of months with them and hope that I can do it again.


We spent the last weekend in Monroe with the Bagley clan! We got to spend time doing one of our childhood favorites of going down the canal behind our house. The kids called it the lazy river and they liked it some of the time! We also went to some natural hot springs that are down the street. It makes me miss living in good old Monroe!

We also got some more good rides in this time with no broken four-wheelers and no crashes! The first day my nephews kept all of the little ones so it was only the adults! The next day we sisters stayed home with the babies and the dad's took the kids for a ride. We had an awesome time together as sister making cards! We also spent one afternoon at lunch together and getting pedicures, I could get used to that kind of a life!
Of course when we weren't riding trails we were playing games! We also got to hit the 24th BBQ and fill up on my favorite beef and we got to see the parade and fireworks for the 24th. I love the hometown feel during the 24th and getting to see everyone who ever lived there! We also got to go to church in Monroe a few times and it was great to see everyone. One of our favorite things was a huge 200 ft slip n slide down a huge hill. My sister rented it for our family and it was probably one of the favorites for all of us, even John. It just might get us back to Utah again. We don't have any pictures for now. Just take my word it was great!


I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my kids play with their cousins and I love love love being with my family! It was like we were never apart.

We had a wonderful trip to Utah! We made tons of memories, did all of our favorites and got to see most of our family. We will miss you all but we look forward to more great times in the future!

Grandma and Grandpa's

So here are pictures of the trip to Utah, finally! It has taken me (Lindsey) forever to get them put together. I'm a little embarrassed that it took me so long, I don't know how people do it, especially when they have other things to do everyday.
The trip started out in Springville at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We had a blast playing with toys and outside on the new swing set. We made chocolate covered pretzels and had picnics outside. Zak and Makelle had fun playing with their buddy Logan.
One day we went swimming at Emily's pool. We were there forever and the kids were so cute and big. They had races and Makelle and Lantz both practiced their diving. Zak and Makelle even helped Logan learn how to swim under water.

Before heading to Monroe, we went up Payson Canyon to the Grotto with LaDonna and some of the cousins. LaDonna took all of the pictures and the older boys took off, so they aren't in any of the pictures!. It was a good and easy hike up to a really pretty waterfall. The kiddos did great and hiked up most of it themselves. We had a great time playing in the water at the bottom of the waterfall. We even went close to the waterfall so we could touch the water.
Lantz loved collecting the rocks, and didn't care that his rear end was soaked by the end!
Makelle collected the prettiest rocks and didn't want to smile for any pictures, so we had to trick her into it!
Zak is getting too big and did everything by himself. He loved playing with Kimberlyn all day.

I love this picture of the kiddos, so I had to put it on by itself!

The hike had a few creek crossings and steep parts that made the hike a lot more exciting.
My family had so much fun while John's family was here. We miss them tons and wish they didn't live so far away. It was great to have the whole family together and I wish it happened more often.

Nauvoo

Before coming to Utah we spent a couple of days in Nauvoo. It was really cool to be able to learn and see where and how the early saints lived and also learn about them leaving Nauvoo. There were so many places to visit that there was no way we could see it all in two days, but we definitely had a ton of fun and had some favorites. We started with a wagon ride through Historic Nauvoo.

The Mississippi River. I was surprised at how huge it was. John and I each threw a rock into the river just to say that we had.

The kiddo's didn't love going through the old buildings, except for the bakery. Lantz loved it because the missionary gave him probably five cookies, while everyone else only got one or two! There was a place with dress-ups and pioneer toys that all three loved. Since Ashley had already been to Nauvoo, she stayed with the kids while John and I walked down Parley St. and tried to visit a few of the buildings. We went to the Seventies Hall (the first MTC) and the missionaries made us take pictures of each other making a speech. We also went to the blacksmith shop and decided it was so cool that we had to take everyone else there the next day. Here are some pictures of the crazies playing like the pioneers did!

All Makelle talked about wanting to see was Carthage Jail. She told us all about how Joseph Smith was killed there. The pictures show the room where Joseph Smith was shot, and the window that he fell through.

After a long day of walking around, the kids were ready for swimming at the hotel, dinner, and an early bedtime. John stayed with them and Ashley and I went to a show put on by the young performing missionaries and the senior missionaries called "Sunset on the Mississippi". It was a variety show with singing and jokes and was great. That was followed by a performance from Vocal Point, a BYU acapella group, and we were so impressed with each that we decided the whole family was staying up late and coming the next night.

The second day in Nauvoo was much like the first, we went to the Blacksmith shop where we watched a demonstration of a horseshoe being made (Zak got to keep it) and we each got a horseshoe nail ring. We also went on an oxen ride and got to touch the oxen.

The boys are always up for a picture, Makelle wasn't so sure!

The kids played some more at the play area and then we finished the afternoon at the brick shop where we learned how to make bricks and got a souvenir Nauvoo brick to bring home.

While the kids and Ashley were swimming again, John and I went on the Joseph Smith Sites tour. It is the part of Nauvoo that belongs to the Community of Christ church instead of the LDS church. The experience was a lot different than the rest of the trip, but very cool. They wouldn't allow any picture taking inside of the buildings, but I did get a picture of where Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum Smith are buried.

We went to three shows in the evening, the first was a play about the pioneers called "High Hopes and River Boats". Zak took his sweatshirt in for a pillow, just in case he was bored! As long as the whale crackers were being passed around the kids did great. We also went back for "Sunset on the Mississippi" and Vocal point. John enjoyed them so much that he was tempted to stay for another day just to see them again!

On the way to the shows, we stopped at the temple for some pictures. The Nauvoo temple is beautiful. It is amazing that people can build something like that now not to mention a hundred years ago. It is easy to see that the Lord had a hand in building the temple, twice.

We had a great time in Nauvoo and wished that we could have stayed for longer. I also wish that I would have taken more pictures. I am so glad that John and Ashley decided to add it onto the beginning of the trip so that I could go with them!

Summer Fun

It's been about a year since I updated the blog, this is Lindsey writing, and I got to spend a couple of weeks in Indiana while Ashley went to girls camp, then we went to Nauvoo, and then I got to bring them all back to Utah with me. I can't believe how much the kids have changed since I saw them at Christmas. Lantz is like a different kid, he is hilarious, Makelle is very cute and very stubborn, but still a "tiny big girl", and Zak is now way (instead of only a little) smarter than me. I had a great time playing with them and am so sad that our time is already over. I told Ashley that I would blog about my/our trip since I have all of the pictures, so here it is!

Definitely three of the silliest kids ever!

The day after I got to Indiana, there was a hot air balloon race and glow. It was pretty cool although we never actually saw a balloon get in the air, and the kids were nervous that the balloons were going to fall on them (mostly Zak and Makelle). They were much happier watching from the car.

We had tons of fun playing together. Being an aunt is the best, especially when you are in the same state as your niece and nephews! One of our favorite things to do together is to build things with couch cushions. We built an obstacle course, although I'm not sure Ashley was thrilled when the kids told her we put all of the cushions and pillows on the floor and jumped on them! We also built a cushion hammock and a jeep for a safari.

We built a great wolf den. It came with two rooms and a trick door in case something tried to come in and eat us. Makelle is the one person demolition crew!

When Lantz did this...

...we did this!We also like to play dress ups. Zak likes layers, while Makelle likes to wear tutu's on her head!

Makelle being a bug. John also looked cute in them, unfortunately we didn't get a picture!

Since I didn't get any pictures at swimming lessons, the kids were showing me how they float on the water.

Zak did amazing at swimming lessons, he could swim across the pool with no help from anyone and can float like you wouldn't believe. He also learned how to dive, from his feet and his knee, and can go down the giant slide by himself and then swim to the other side of the pool to the ladder. He is an amazing kid!

Makelle also did pretty well during the lessons, and would negotiate her way around doing anything she didn't want to do. I heard the words "I have a good idea, how about we do ______ (insert almost anything besides swimming) instead then have a break" quite a few times. She was getting the hang of her arm strokes as long as someone was holding her. After swimming lessons were over however, she decided that she could swim on her own and you can imagine John's surprise when she put her head under the water and really swam using the things she had learned from her teachers. When Ashley came home from camp Makelle told her that she could swim all by herself, but Ashley didn't believe it till she saw it herself!

The kids had a great time playing on the Slip 'n Slide. Lantz didn't care that he wasn't wearing a swimming suit, he loved it!

The kiddos each have a chart with things to do before bed. They read scriptures, say prayers, brush teeth, and etc. They have 15 minutes to complete their charts and if they do, the first person done gets to choose an activity to do before they have to go to sleep. Tag and Hide and Seek were favorites. I think that John and I were the most excited to play (though I think Ashley secretly loved it too), and we tried our hardest to think of great places to hide. One particular time, John decided to hide on the wall between the kitchen and living room. So he climbed on top of the fridge and laid on the wall. Makelle was counting and as soon as she got done she looked up and said "Dad, what are you doing up there?!". He was the first one found after all of that effort, then he couldn't get down and we had to get the ladder to rescue him!

I always have so much fun when I get to spend time with my brother and his family, hopefully it won't be too long before I get to see them again.

1 Year Anniversary

Last month we celebrated one year since we bought our house! Oh, how are lives have changed in just one short year! John and I were saying how hard it is going to be to leave in just three years. When we moved here we left tons of family who we love but who we will see again and again. When we leave Indiana we leave lots of friends that we love as family, but that we will probably never see again. Before coming here we didn't need friends because we had family, family, and more family. It is a whole different experience to rely wholly on our friends. They are the greatest and they have helped to make this one of the greatest years for the Gerhauser family.

Life for us is absolutely wonderful these days. John started summer school but he his home lots so we can't complain. We love having him home and we are taking full advantage. Sophomore year of dental school is supposed to be miserable so we are enjoying this time of having him to ourselves.

This is what we do these days, the zoo, the science museum, the pool, the lake and beach, play dates, the slip n slide, the park and then we just do it all over again. WE LOVE SUMMER!!!! But we are always out and about and I keep my camera away from sand and water, so not many pictures. For the past month we had rain, then we had super hot humid days, then warm days, then rain. It is true what they say here. If you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes!!

Our garden this year is doing great, especially when you consider we couldn't grow anything last year. John has done a great job and the kids love picking the peas to eat each day! We are sad to leave it during our vacation but hopefully there will still be something to enjoy when we get back!

We were excited to see some of my family last week. We didn't get to see them for long but it was still good to see them. It is crazy how kids change in one year. My kids were so excited to see there cousins and they played as if they had just played together yesterday.

Zak-Wasn't sure if he could remember how to swim but he does!!! He is hardly afraid this year and he swims so good. He is very good at addition and he is counting down the days for Utah and then for Kindergarten.

Makelle-Swims very good with her life jacket on and can put her head all under the water and walk around. She is very proud!!

Lantz-Is a stinker!!! He keeps me going. Without fail he will finish his meal then get down from the table and go to the cereal cupboard! GRRRRRR!! It drives me crazy. He is fascinated with shoes, the outside, and waving to everyone. He doesn't talk much but he managed to say Grandpa this week!


John-school, sleep, gym, garden, and meetings! Same old same old!

Ashley-is getting ready for girls camp in next week! Yeah to Lindsey for coming to watch my kids! They won't even know I am gone! I also registered for classes to take online from Utah State. I will be able to finish my bachelors all online so I am super excited about that (minus the fact that I will probably have to take a ton of math classes again, grrrr). It won't be quick but at least I will be working on it. Thanks to a great friend for encouraging me!!!