-The Remaining Half a Year :)

So continuing on from March...

-Easter Morning-

-I was photographer for our ward Easter Fair-

I got to throw a bridal shower for our awesome Jenna. She graduated nursing school the following day-the same day that Steve graduated medical school :)...
-What -don't you appreciate all I do for you?? :)

-Congratulations Steve!! You did it! We love you!-
~And then on a beautiful day Mark and Jenna were wed~

-days like this make little girls swoon :)

-Then with everyones help (thanks again!) we packed up the last of our home in Utah and said our heart wrenching good byes :[. We've been richly blessed during our time here & will deeply miss those who were a part of it!

-Since our new home in AZ wouldn't be done for another week & a half. Steve stayed in Utah to work a few more shifts as a nurse and I got to vacation in Carlsbad with the family :).

We did our usual favorite things including the strawberry fields again :).

Lexi discovered quite the anomaly!

We had a blast of a girls night at Kristi's baby girl shower!!!
The Mormon Night Padres game was a big hit :) Especially the cotton candy -thanks Grandma!

-Sky mastered his moves with the guitar-

-And of course the beach! The girls took to boogie boarding, well, like fish to water ;)! -Got sand?-

I lucked out and happeded to be there the same time Stephanie was visiting for a sibling wedding. So we got together with Kim and our kids swam for an afternoon. So good to see you guys!!

-Then we made it to Tucson! The girls met their teachers and are off to a great year!
We're settling in bit by bit and enjoying our new ward and friends. Steve just got called as Ward Mission Leader and he ropped me in as a Ward Missionary, so we're having fun! We had another big and wonderful event just take place when our certain oldest turned 8, but I'll save that for it's own post :).

There now, I'm caught up and back in the land of blogs :D! See ya again soon!

A Year in Pictures!

Uh, yeah I actually started this post in March six months ago, but never got the words down. I thought I'd throw it out there anyway since it's been, um, over a year and a half since I've blogged and you're all no doubt on the edge of your seats wondering what happened to the Grokes. Well, between this post & the next let me show you how much can happen in just a year & a half :). That's right folks -get ready for the longest posts you have no doubt ever encountered (now don't panic -they'll be practically all pics -I can't remember much of the details now anyways -that's what I get for waiting so long)!

Let's make this post a year in pictures. We'll start and end with Skylar's 1st and 2nd birthdays :).

~Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's~

Sky is thoroughly enjoying the swings at Moonlight Beach.

Spring in Carlsbad = Flower Fields

~And the Strawberry Fields~

The girls in their spring dance costumes :)

Memorial Day was celebrated in Highland with the extended Packard Family. Great climbing tree at the softball feild for the traditional family game.

Too much fun at Raging Waters with friends after the girls performed their dance routines there.

Micaela at only age 4 is riding a bike!

Packard Family reunion in Fruitland Heights, UT. SO FUN!

To celebrate Fathers day during the reunion the girls got to give their daddy a make-over and pedicure ;)

Matching shirts for the 4th! We attempted the Sugarhouse show for the fireworks. NOT worth the hour and a half stuck in traffic afterwards!

Once again enjoying home! And Seely Beach Week (though I don't have any pics)

A wonderful Pioneer Day celebration!

-One cute little pioneer!-

Oceanside Pier -where we purchased the matching flower necklaces :)

-Celebrating Lexi's 7th birthday at Lagoon!

Her actual birthday was on the 1st day of school, so we brought the mini cherry cheesecakes that she loves to mark the occation :).

Micaela got her 1st B-day party with friends to celebrate #5. Strawberry Shortcake themed of course. You KNOW I had a blast with this one ;D!

Strawberry pinata, strawberry lemonade, strawberry flavored marshmallows, Whoppers & Pocky Sticks, Pin the Strawberry on the Vine... oh yeah, you get the idea :).

For Halloween the kids were a rock band (Lexi -guitar, Micaela -singer, & Sky -drummer -uh, missing his drumsticks here).
Steve & I wore shirts that said "I'm with the band" (Okay, Steve's not wearing His in this pic).

Um, I seem to be missing my Seely reunion/ Thanksgiving pictures :[.

At Great G&G Packard's home we enjoyed Christmas eve. Sky made a darling shephard.

Micaela got a call from Santa!

Steve & I marked our ten year anniversary!

~And then... Lo and behold my baby was 2!!

My -oh- how time does fly!!

If you made it through -give yourself a hug from me!