The Spence's : End of 2015

So...... it's been a while since I last posted anything. We've been busy. I'm still in as YW president. Scott was put in as Stake YM Secretary. No big deal. The amount of meetings between us gets a little crazy some days but the stake presidency told our Bishop that my calling is more important so if anything conflicts, my calling comes first. Luckily we haven't had issues so far but we love serving over the youth and getting the chance to get to know them and be an example to them. I love my girls and I love sharing my testimony with them. I love learning from them and hearing their thoughts and insights on things. They are amazing and I'm so thankful for this rising generation. They are special spirits indeed. As I've read the Book of Mormon recently I have really felt a push to do things differently in my life. I need to find myself on the right side and make sure my family and the gospel are priorities. I found myself wasting time when I could be doing more good. I have been trying to be more efficient with my time and to work on making my prayers more meaningful. I have really tried to improve my scripture reading and get myself back on track with Personal Progress. I have been working so hard to get our family out of debt. It is extremely difficult to do when my husband hasn't had a raise in 6 or 7 years and you think about how the cost of living has gone up in that time. It's been tricky but paying tithing and offerings has really saved us each year. I long to have more kids but we really can't afford it and don't have room in our car for another car seat and there is no way possible that we can afford a bigger car right now. I pray every single day he'll get a raise. He's been told for over a month now that something is in the works and with each paycheck I am let down. It's really hard to feed a family for 2 weeks on $100. Plus we have a wedding next month in St. George and not sure what to drive to get down there. Scott's car needs some work done and mine has 213k miles on it. Oy! We just spent over $600 on dental appointments for Scott and Charlotte. Still have a chunk of that to pay off. I just wish his boss understood how hard its been for us. It's been really tough but each month we make it through. Scott and I just celebrated our 10 yr anniversary which is crazy! Time flies when you're having fun! We said we'd return back to Grand America on our 10 year anniversary since that was where we went on our wedding night. Little did we know what kind of financial situation we'd be in at this point. Plus, I hate asking people to watch my kids. I feel like they're my kids and my responsibility. I chose to have them. So it's my job to take care of them. We don't go on dates often. I hate asking my parents to watch them all the time and Scott's parents are gone in St. George a lot plus they watch Aaron and Malia's kids one day a week so I feel bad asking them. We also don't have money to pay a sitter. So it's been a couple months since we made it to the temple which is too long for me. And we didn't get to go out for our 10 year which was kind of a bummer. Scott got some applebee's gift cards and we ordered food to go and watched one of our favorite shows together. It works for our situation. We've also never been apart from our kids so it works out fine. One day our kids will be grown up and then we can do more of that stuff. So it really hasn't been a super exciting 6 months but we've been busy trying to strengthen our family, teach our kids and keep growing our relationship. I love Scott more than ever. He does so many selfless things for me. Even just the simple act of bathing the kids and putting them down to bed so I can walk around the neighborhood in the evening with fellow yw leaders. He's so good to me and does so much for our family and he really is my favorite. I couldn't ask for a better person to have with me on this ride. So anyway, here's the last 6 months in pictures:

Christmas at my parent's. I spent a lot of time there this winter. I would feed my parent's animals each night since my mom had her second knee replacement the end of October. She couldn't be out in the snow so I'd help out during the week while my dad had weekends. I got to see a lot of beautiful sunsets at their house this winter.

At the beginning of December we had a youth temple trip. Then we took them to Chuck a Rama after and called it our combined activity for the month. I know they're kind of phasing them out a bit but we're hoping to do another one soon.

We made a quick trip to see the lights one night before it got too cold. We had dinner at the Nauvoo Cafe which was good but it got packed!

In "our" spot where Scott proposed to me 10 years ago

For one of our Decemeber combined YW parties we watched Once I Was a Beehive with one of our favorite leaders that had moved away months before. She had a copy and my 1st counselor's hubby had this sweet screen and set us up in the overflow. Our building gets really packed on mutual night because they have all 3 wards there and it's hard to find space for everyone. We had 33 girls at this activity.

I had wanted to see the Tree of Life at the Draper park. Hard to take pictures with a phone but we made it work the best we could. It was fun to meet up with Rick and Sierra too.

With my mom not being able to drive after her surgery, I would borrow their Yukon so I could make it easily to and from their house to feed and also do our paper routes. This was after a pretty big storm. The trees lining their driveway look so pretty with a fresh coat of snow.

I miss seeing these girls every day. I love them so much. I had a lot of fun with them in winter.

The chickens are super picky about walking in the snow. If straw wasn't down they wouldn't leave the coop. If snow covered it during the day, they wouldn't come in at night. They would hang out in the barn.

I loved all the snow we got this winter. It was amazing and awesome and cold. I love having it cold for a few months.

They'd all follow me when I'd come to feed. They're so cute!

Charlotte loves to read to Jack.

The kids at Scott's work party. They love getting to see Santa.

Found this big guy while doing routes one evening. He was pretty impressive.

Sometimes Jack randomly falls asleep. I think this was before bed though.

Lots of birds go in the chicken yard for food if we don't set stuff out on the outside of the yard. I had to help some quail this time. They're so beautiful and I love their little commas!

One dove I caught wouldn't fly away so I set it on my shoulder to see what it would do. It sat there while I went back and forth from the barn with food and stuff and it hung out for a while.

We went up to Ogden to see some Christmas stuff. It was fun to get everyone together. That doesn't happen often!

One night we did graham cracker houses at Scott's parent's. Charlotte and Jack loved it!

Charlotte with her newest cousin, Brelee

Christmas for the kids.... and Toby because he likes to throw himself in our pictures.

After another round of snow

Charlotte with one of her new toys from Christmas.

All piled up on the couch

Because snow angels are fun

When the kids come out we play lots of games.

Freezing! Winter was pretty cold this year.

What happens when my phone is left lying around and Cami is close by

Finally got my torches up and running and we made creme brulee... the Roof's recipe... it is heavenly

One day after church we stopped by to see Grandpa B

Got this beast for Christmas. I love it. It's my dutch oven. It's amazing. And I love making braised Italian chicken in it.

Rick and Sierra came by one night. Jack just hops in and gets cozy

New glasses!... after like 6 or 7 years...

Scott would take his lunch with Charlotte sometimes at school. She loved having lunch with dad.

This was super cute and sweet. I don't remember the exact amount but it was a lot! And I realized I hardly had anything for Jack so I used some to get him a couple gifts. I'm pretty sure the rest was for groceries because with the holiday's Scott's paychecks were not the biggest.

The kids made a snowman at Grandma and Grandpa Spence's

When Petite won't walk back to the coop herself, I get a chance to hold her. Love chicken hugs!

Big baby in the basement

Another pretty sunset

Heart attacking for the new bishopric

Sometimes we bring the chickens in. They're part of the family too.

I love bird prints in the snow

Made this on a chalkboard for our New Beginnings

Someone laid a baby egg... probably Petite.

Sometimes Jack lines up his cars in colors

When you're trying to feed but a chicken jumps on the bowl and perches.

The day James got stuck in the snow and I had to carry him to the coop. Poor guy. Snow was too deep.

When he's about to beat me and I have all these cards

My awesome birthday gifts

Birthday card from Scott and the kids

Took a walk on a warmer day and got all kind of faces

The zoo in winter. Usually not very crowded which is nice

The faces! Haha!

checked out a new park in West Jordan

Some of the stuff Jack got for his birthday.

Tracy Aviary

Jack asked for a rainbow cake. This was as good as it got. I did a pinata cake with mini m&ms in the middle.

Sun dog

One Sunday afternoon we took a drive to Stansbury Island

Dr. Seuss week means Wacky Wednesday crazy hair day

Waffle love... yummy

Sadly this girl isn't with us anymore. We did a couple treatments trying to fix her but on a later visit the vet found a tumor or something and as he examined her she dropped dead on the table. I was so glad I stopped by before to just help my mom. We had no idea it'd be the last time we'd see her but she was such a sweetie.

We found this pigeon injured pretty badly. It looked like he'd lose a leg. We drove all the way to Ogden to the wildlife sanctuary where they tried to save it but sadly a few weeks later it lost its leg and ended up dying. So sad.

Another day a Cooper's hawk found itself stuck in the chicken yard. It unfortunately got a dove in the yard but once I caught it we were able to let it go.

Tried to find the geode beds near Dugway and failed horribly but had an adventure with Chloe and her new car

Tooele County is home to wild horses. Saw these guys while driving

We found a skull... maybe sheep?

People must take sheep out here to graze and something must snag them... cougars maybe? Unless the coyotes are big enough.

Finally found the place where we can find wonderstone. So pretty!

Some of the rocks we found while trying to find geodes.

My mom wanted to take the kids to Chuck E Cheese one day so we went.

Decided to run over to Schmidt's for some baked goods.

Got a little crazy making our own dye this year. Lots of options.

Aquarium

These super annoying teenagers standing right there not even looking at the penguins messing around on their phones. So dumb!

He hates me but I love him

We did a life size chutes and ladders for mutual. The girls had a lot of fun

Our new water heater. Ours decided to go out right before we went to St. George. Luckily I had been saving our tax return but sadly I was saving it for car insurance so I still have to come up with that money. But we're good now and it looks great.

Charlotte got citizen of the month... she was super excited.

My spring flowers

St. George... we so needed that after 3 long years.

Even Toby made it down with us! We loved bringing him with us.

Lots of green and spring flowers in the red desert

Our rental car. It was so fun to drive. I wish I could afford one myself. It was super nice

Scott snagged this picture. I really love shopping in St. George and love seeing the polygamists. It's just so interesting the way they live. And kind of sad in some circumstances. But I really do get excited to see them and I always see a ton!

Loved Snow canyon

Cool animal prints in the sand

We planned to picnic there but it was busy with a special ed. group and all the tables taken so we used the super spacious back of the Expedition.

Drinks are good... cookies are ok... I like Pit Stop carwash in Tooele better but it was a fun treat.

Saying goodbye. We were cruising pretty comfortably.

Best graffiti ever

One of Charlotte's birthday gifts

He crashed at Grandma B's

Winking

Neighborhood bbq for the graduates

One day I went to turn off the faucet and it broke off in my hand. I managed to turn it off but it needed to be replaced. My dad helped us out and I picked out this. Nothing too fancy but not too cheap. It works.

The kids in front of our old apartment. Good times there.

Scott had a meeting on Mother's day but he left Charlotte with instructions to lead me to this. My cute family.

My parents have had lots of nests and now baby birds!

Because of a ward conference and other meetings we had a hard time celebrating Charlotte's bday and Scott's with my family so we did it on Mother's day and got them both taken care of too.