We're MOVING!!

Sorry for the delay on the blog.  Things have been a bit crazy around here as of late...

After a long interview process with corporate Wal-mart, Craig has accepted a position with them as a Senior Project Manager in Innovation.  (He gets to help come up with cool new ideas to help engage customers and improve profitability.)  It should be a pretty sweet gig.  We are very excited about this new opportunity - it is most definitely an answer to prayers.  The job is located in Bentonville AR, where Wal-mart was first started and where their corporate headquarters are located.  Which means ... we are moving to Arkansas.  Now, when I think Arkansas, hillbilly comes to mind.  lol.  However, I've heard that the greater Bentonville area is a bit like a bubble with so many transplants from all over working for Wal-mart or any one of the Fortune 500 companies which all have offices in the area because Wal-mart is their biggest client.  Our kids may end up with a southern accent and I will most likely be sporting an afro from all the humidity.  We should be starting our move about the middle of March, hopefully making our way up through Utah first to see all of our family first.  Things have been stressful trying to prepare... we are selling both of our cars here and buying a new car when we get there plus looking at housing to rent, going through everything so we don't take junk, etc.  However, their relocation plan is nothing but LOVELY. :)  They are going to pay for a trip out there for Craig and I to look at housing for 5 days, they are packing, loading, and relocating all of our belongings as well as putting us in contact with a real estate person to help find a home we want to rent. It's so nice to not have to worry about that part of moving. Well, that is an update.  I'll try to catch up with what happened in January and February soon.

Just in case you're curious - I found this youtube video on what north west Arkansas is like.  Wal-mart is obviously trying to convince people it's cool to live there. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQCJTQCuUM4

The Rest of December According to my Smartphone

The Grinch AKA Jace joined us at the Home Depot Activity this month.  We love Home Depot! Brooke got her face painted, Ty miraculously fell asleep in my arms, and we had fun climbing trees at the park.  Brooke was Student of the Month for December - YAY, Brooke!!  We crafted Christmas cards, made cookies, built a gingerbread house, decorated the house, and redecorated the house ... Brooke loved getting tangled in the tinsel. :)  We enjoyed seeing where Scotty the Elf would be each morning.  One time he colored all over the bathroom mirror with a red marker.  When the kids found him they noticed in the mirror that he had got their noses too and "Rudolfed" them.  It was quite funny.  We also found him hand gliding in the toy room once too.  That silly elf.  He played a special 12 days of Christmas game with them this year too.  He left them notes with acts of service to do every morning to help remember Christ and the true meaning of Christmas.  :)  Jace learned how to ride his bike without training wheels!! We were very proud of him.   On New Year's Eve the kids really wanted to stay up until midnight so we tricked them by setting the clocks forward 2 hours.  They beat on pots and pans at 10pm but thought it was midnight.  It was a win win situation.  Then Craig and I celebrated by ourselves.  2012 was a little rough.  Let's hope that 2013 is a little kinder to us. ;)

Cibola Vista Resort & Spa with G&G Johnson

WOW!!  This resort was awesome.  We had so much fun visiting Grandma & Grandpa Johnson at their fun Condo.  They had all sorts of fun activities and the grounds were absolutely beautiful. Jace and Brooke couldn't get enough of the fun pool. .. and the enormous hot tub.  Although, I felt a little bit bad that I hyped up the fact that it had a huge water slide and then they ended up being too small to go on it. :( Oh well, Grandma, Grandpa, and I enjoyed it for them. ;)  The kids decorated gingerbread houses at the activities center first thing. We got to see lots of movies over the break.  Grandpa took me to see Jack Reacher Christmas night.  I totally thought that Tom Cruise would ruin it but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  It was a good one.  G&G watched the kiddos while Craig and I went on a date to see Lincoln and grab some dinner at a Hibachi grill which was super fun.  Craig, Brooke, and Grandma saw Les Miserables and Grandpa took me to the last Twilight movie too.  No way I would have seen that one otherwise. ;)  Craig would rather die a slow death than watch another Twilight movie with me.  lol.

One of the funnest things we did there was a Cowboy Cookout at the resort's Old Western town.  We tried to look as "cowboy" as possible. We enjoyed some delicious barbecue while being serenaded by some cowboys then there was an old west stand off.  When the first gun went off the kids didn't know if they should hide or not.  They soon caught on that it was all part of the show.  Brooke got invited to test the magic rings in front of everyone and Craig got called up to be part of the show too. He and 3 other men were to sit in 4 chairs placed in a circle.  The lady in charge then arranged their arms in a certain way and had them leaning on each other and quietly removed their chairs out from underneath them.  It was pretty funny.  The favorite part was roasting some smores over a fire pit.  We all had a great time.  Thanks for all the fun Grandpa & Grandma - we had a super fun week with you!! 

On our way to the Old West part of the property.

Me and my little handsome at the cookout.  I love this picture.

Craig's performance on stage.

When Brooke had her sleepover, Grandma & Grandpa took her on a pony ride.  She also watched some fun girly movies with Grandma and they wrote secret notes to each other.

When Jace had his sleepover they did a tour of the old West town, played tennis, and went swimming.  They both had a great time having some special time with their grandparents. :)

One of the mornings we met Grandma & Grandpa at the temple in Mesa.  They did some work there then watched the kids so we could too.  We did initiatory.  It was great to remember some of those blessings.

On our last day there Grandma made us some yummy food. We enjoyed watching a movie together then we played lots of games too.  Break the Ice that we got from Aunt Jessica for Christmas and then Monopoly.  I think Jace most certainly has an entrepreneurial heart.  He LOVED that game.  Especially when he won all the money from landing on free parking 3 times.  Grandpa took a break to put Ty to sleep.  He has the magic touch with that kid.  Even so Grandpa ended up winning with Grandma's help.  So Fun!