A look back. 2009. (for my journal.)

2009.

oh what a year.

These are pics of some of our best moments.

But then I started to get carried away

and put waaaaay to many up.

(I apologize now for such a long post. just skip it! but I did this for my blogging journal of 09! And btw, my colors and fonts are driving me crazy..not perfect, but no time to fix!!)

Man, we had such an eventful year.

It started out in the Bahamas in January of 2009.

Ry earned a trip from work and off we went.....It was great to get away from the kiddos for a bit and remember why we still like each other still..ha ha!

We took a cruise to the Bahamas and added a couple of days in Miami.

We love the ocean blue and will do anything to get to the sunshine.

Miami is one of our favorite places. It also connects you to the Caribbean which is also our favorite.
We are holding Conk shell in CocoaCay Bahamas. It was so beautiful there.

we simply loved it.

WE kayaked and snorkeled. There is beauty everywhere. The waters were calm and blue. We hiked through jungle and toured the streets of Nasauu. We saw Atlantis and layed on it's sandy white beaches. It was such a great trip.

Meanwhile we had been building our home.

We started our crazy adventure back in the summer of 2008.

We had been living in the Mountain House since Sept of 08' and enjoying our adventures there.

We left to the Bahamas with just one month left...that was our only time we could go.(bad idea but we did it. Thanks AMber for bbsitting!)

It was crazy and stressful and fun all at once. I love design and color, so it was such a fun process for me. Ry might disagree....there was soooo much to decide,

but in the end

we picked out exactly everything we loved:

the yard, the basement, the kitchen, the bedrooms...

we love it here.



February 6th we signed on the home and we moved on Feb 7th.

Exhausted and excited all at once. Our third time moving in 6months! But we were so ready to get back down in the valley where the kids schools, friends, sports teams were!

moving day 6:00 Am

ooooohhh my lovely mountain view....

that is until our neighbors built next door and

took my beautiful view away!!!

I was so sad to lose my Rocky Mountains...!

And that's not the only thing we L O S T...when we went to our storage unit, we got EVERYTHING stolen.

From our refridgerator, to our dryer, all of our toys, bikes, scooters, decor, and worst of all:

PICTURES! I still can't find my wedding pics! Ry lost all his mission photos too.

WE cut our losses and moved on. We had a string of BAD LUCK and I swore I had a gray cloud hanging over our heads...but that's okay, we just kept living! It was hard, but we are fine, lucky we are all just happy and healthy.

Our church built it's 129th temple and what an honor it was to take the kids through he Draper Temple before it was dedicated.(March) What a great experience for the kids. They were taken back at it's beauty. It is high on the mountain overlooking the valley....it had such a peaceful feeling...


Then after only being in our home for a month or two,

we were hit hard with a BIG decision:

Ry got offered a fabulous job down in sunny Arizona.

With a new home nestled in between all the cousin love

and the school only steps away, a neighborhood FULL of kids and best friends,

we were really torn.
We hit the road and decided to check out AZ..

Just Ry and I..road trip! We drove through Kanab Utah to page AZ

to overlooking the tip of the Grand Canyon and on down to the hot desert....

I am overlooking the dam in Page Arizona at Lake Powell It was breathtaking...I love my Utah.
There is so much beauty.

the long and windy road! We enjoyed our time along...lots of chatting!

In the end, we decided it just wasn't the right time. We turned down the job. And we still may have a move in our future....we are still not sure. Meanwhile Ryan earned president Circle for 2008 for the 2nd yr. in a row... We were supposed to go off to Naples, Florida for a company getaway end of February, but the crummy economy put that trip to a halt. WE got financially reimbursed instead.

(Pic of Pres's circle 2007 in Scottsdale AZ, the Boulders Resort.)

Meanwhile it was our wedding anniversary in March.

We take that very seriously around here...we party (good party!) all weekend long.

Off to Park city for a few days of fun!

We hit all our favorite places to eat:

Loco Lizard, Happy Sumo, movies, shopping, alpine slide...we were loving our weekend.

The weather started warming up and I hit the roads!

I was so tired of my treadmill all winter long. I try to run every day and do a few races a year. I love to compete and feel the adrenalin rush.

I always try to recruit my friends and sis's to go with me.

Amber and I did the Race for the Cure in May and then Kim, Misty and Amber did a July 4th race! it was so fun!
Love you girls!!!

The kids all ran the fun run at school. All the grades line up and run 2 miles!

Jakers got 4th and Ashlyn got first for her grade. I love that my kids love to play sports. We love sports at our house and are gone every night with bball, soccer, swimming...we love it!

The Fun Run was a warm sunny day.

Ry and I run with the kids...look at Jakers legs go...:)

Then in June, the sisters decided to take a quick

weekend getaway up to Bear Lake to our sis in laws cabin!

It was so darn fun and so BEAUTIFUL.

WE all had such a great time, chatting, laying out,

playing games and eating smores my the fire.

Her house was big and beautiful. It was in the middle of the Utah/Idaho mountains...It is such a fun weekend to get out with the girlies.


.

Misty and I...going on a morning walk!

Brie and Brett walking down to the Lake from the cabin.

Thanks to the girls for such a great time.

It was so nice to get away from life for awhile and recoup!

Love my sisters and grateful for them every single day!

Summer soon came...

the warm sun came out and the colors started to appear on the trees...

And if you don't know me, you will soon learn I LOVE SUMMER and the sun and the warm and the happiness and the diet cokes and the flip-flops, all that summer has to offer.

I am so happy.

(soccer field where Jake plays)

School was out June 4th!

Here is a pic of the last day of school!

yay

let the parties begin.

We had a fabulous summer of 2009!

One to always remember.

Our summer:
Thrillin Thursdays, soccer games, playing outside, secret pools, secret lakes, cousin love, baseball games, hiking, late walks, summer nights,

Here is a pic of the boys going to a Bees game with their dad!

In June,

we had to put in our yard. Ry and I layed 11 pallets of grass in 24 hours.

Quite the feat, but I was lovin it!

Nothing like good old fashion hard work. We hired the kids to help and on the second day my twin bro troy helped us finish it off!

We were soooooo happy to have a yard!

It was worth all the sweat and mud!!!

We layed a basketball court and put in a playset.

Summer was in full force

and we hit the pool at least 4 times a week.

We went to the secret pool everyday for Ashlyns swim team (2 miles away) and then we would go back with cousins and friends.

It was such happy days in the warm sunshine.

I was finally at a good stage in my life....my kids growing older and more independent, we were able to do so much more! No babies= new phase of life! yay!

My girls!! I have great friends (Dani, Lisa, Robyn, me and Nat!)



Everyday I think we played with the cousin love. We are all so lucky to live houses within eachother. All of our kiddos our best friends!! Jake and Lexi are inseperable and play every day. They are in the same class at school and share lots of the same friends. So darn cute.

We had birthdays galore in the summer:
sisters, me, Ry, the twins.... every month another celebration.
Here is a pic of sister lunch for Brooke's bday.
We always always do a sister lunch for eachothers birthdays!
They are big deals around here!

During the summer we have a Brown family tradition in the summer:
Thrillin thursdays every single week.

We played up and down the entire valley. We went everywhere and did everything: hikes in the mountains, game days at the park, swimming, gateway, lakes...

The cousins love this day so much.

Here is a pic of them at the Gateway,
all the cuz's runnin towards the water! love it
(one of my fav pics of 09)


It was such a warm sunny day. We love the memories we made!
game day at the park....I was in charge!

egg toss, bubble gume contest, relay races, pizza, and popsicles

Ashlyn joined the swimteam in June and loved it.

She swam every morning in the sunshine. She loved to compete and she made great friends. I loved going to watch her in the mornings after my run. She swam at the secret pool which is only 2 miles from our house. It was great!
Ashlyn and Austin turned 10 !!

We had a great day going to the movies, dinner and cake and icecream with cousin and friends.
I have great kiddos. Can't believe they were a decade old!

Cousin love. Our summer had officially started

It was full of late night basketball games on our court and movie nights on the trampoline.

Ry would come home from work and we played all night long.

We love summers around here.

lazy days with friends,

popsicles, bubbles, and playing outside! WE were having a great summer life. No school, no homework, less sports, less schedules. We were happy!

WE had the annual Brown family trip in June and

went to Moab with all the cousin and sisters!

It is a fabulous trip
we take once a year down south.
The brown crew:


Green River.
We hiked through Utah's wonders, we picnicked, swam, and had adventures in exploring for heiroglyphs and indian petroglyphs.

The first day, we were attacked by locusts for lunch. Honestly it was 100s and 100s flying around our heads. The kids body surfed down the Colorado River in their shorts.
WE ate lunch on the river banks. It was so fun .


Utah is beautiful and we love to take our kids to see all the wonders. This year was especially fun, we missed Grandma and Grandpa and so glad we got to spend time with them!! We love Moab and Green River.

What a trip, what a trip.

Thanks to gma and gpa for organizing and planning...we really love this tradition. My kids look forward to this tradition every year.
The famous Delicate ARch!

July 1, 2009

The time had arrived:

Mom and Dad's release date from their

3 year mission..

Mission Presidents for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints.

Took care of 240 plus missionaries. From Provo down to St. George. Three years of their lives...wow. what an adventure...so much to say

All the kids made signs and I bought balloons.

We lined the streets waiting for their car to drive up.

What a moment we all won't forget.

WE had tears in our eyes watching

grandma and grandpa

finally COME HOME!

WE were so happy to have our mom and dad and grandma and grandpa home. What a sacrifice to give up 3 years of your life.

But in the end the sacrifice was far worth the reward.

Then July 4th festivities were underway! party at Brooke's house, fireworks, food, lots of cousin love, uncles and aunts happy,

On the 24th we all got together at my mom's for a BBQ and then went down to the valley for fireworks. Mace and uncle Ty. Mace loooooves Uncle Ty and Amber...they are so sweet to him. It was a great night...Emily was in town from Germany with her 2 kids claire and Jackson...cousin love! yay. Her kids are soooo cute.


Ash and Claire!

July was a fabulous month.

It was so warm and full of fun days.

Here are the boys at the fireworks at the park!

Meanwhile, Ry's parents were

currently serving a mission in Kirtland Ohio.

WE decided it was important for the kids to see where

the beginnings of our church started and to go see their Grandparents.

WE decided Mace would be hard on the plane and take all of Grandpa's attention,

so I stayed home with him.

The kids had the times of their lives in Ohio.

TO visit the temple in Kirtland and see where Joseph Smith lived and worked was so cool for them. They heard all the stories of our early church leaders.

There was such a strong spirit there. A trip my kids will never forget.

Grandma and Grandpa were great leaders and missionaries for our church.

Ry then went on and took the kids on to Niagra Falls in New York.
WOw. It was amazing. The kids loved it. It took their breath away to see the amazing water falls. It was a life experience. The views, the water, the falls.....

They got home and the sisters

took their annual trip on to St George Utah.

We have a fab weekend full of laughter,

laying out, eating, shopping, and just hangin with the girls. We love this trip every year!
By the end of July, it's my birthday and Ry's birthday..we are two weeks apart.

It was time tohave a party for us!

I got heart attacked by my sis's the night before. they are the sweetest girls.

Some of their hearts are a little crazy. We love it.

Off for more fun in Park city, shopping, lunches and movies.

We love our bdays.

Park City..alpine slide!

Then we discovered the secret pond in early August.

Off RY and the boys would go....fishing in a secret pond.

Big catfish in the green waters. It was always so peaceful to go.

The cousins would go together....

And this pic is officially my FAVORITE pic of 2009.

I already have it framed and in my house.

The cousin love at the secret pond.

I did not place them there or tell them to sit next to eachother.

This was just the way they hung out.

SHoulder to shoulder staring into the pond water...

enjoying their nice sunny day!!

ahhh love it.
Happy Birthday Ryan. August 9th....Another year older.

The kids surprised dad with his own hearts and favorite treats.

He woke up to a great surprise!

More lazy days of summer.

The kids favorite past time now became four-square with dad after work or on Saturdays after our sports. They played for hours on this court.

Lovin summer days knowing they were coming to an end.....

Sports picked up with Jake in flag football.

Austin practicing for his bball season and Ashlyn still doing swim team.

A moment in my life I will never forget, is my hike with Nie Nie. In August she hiked the Y for her one yr anniversary of her crash. Nie has changed my life. She did a year ago. I love her. Her zest for motherhood, her devotion to her religion and her husband, her children is profound.

She has touched many of us. I owe her so much. She changed me forever..that night was amazing. Thanks Kim for going with me! :)

The days of Fall were near.

Utah is so beautiful when the colors begin to change.

The Rockies are beautiful every day. We get to look up and be surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains in the East and the Oquirrh mountains in the West.... We loved watching all the kids and their sports every night.

School started and a week later was Labor Day weekend:

Beach house love!!!

September of 09'

Lots of families and kids gather together and play in the sun!

WE boogey board, build sand castles, throw the football, find seashells, build bonfires,

and simply enjoy one anothers company.

This is a tradition that will be forever!

I will just let the collages speak for themselves

WE LOVE IT!!

oh man the days in the sun were fabulous.

So much fun. Yup, memories for a lifetime.

My kids absolutely love this trip...their all time favorite!!

sunsets, walks on the beach, early morning runs...we love it.


we played literally all day on the beach. For an entire week...no stress, just play!

WE just have such a great time.

Come one come all. The more the merrier.

This year it was the Stott's, Larsens., Browns and Monsen's (twice..Linday and Bran!). Then we had a few friends come and some of the extended Monsen family there!

Our family! I love them.
Mace was pooped!

we always walk to the pier and eat at Ruby's on the last night.

Misty's birthday!

All the adults went to the Harbor and ate at Francesco's! yummy italian.

It was a great night!

(Bri and Misty, Me and RY, Kristin and Troy, and AMber and Ty)mmmm

Our family again.

We were all soooo sunburned!

and we all look a little freaky in this pic...It's computer digitized or something like that...

I thought it was kind of cool......

WE came home to Salt Lake and fall was in full swing.

We went from the warm sun to the cooled off days.

I love Utah for it's beauty.

WE get the four seasons at their finest!

The mountains make me so happy. I love looking up at them every single day. We our lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

My kids loved the hike this day. It was perfect.

Then Grandma and Grandpa Stott came home in mid September! Wow both grandparents home in the same year. Can't believe the time had gone by. SO glad they were able to serve as missionaries for our chruch. Their example to my kids is wonderful. We are so blessed to live miles within each grandparents. We love them all!


Off to homecomings and family gatherings.

Big celebrations were in order!

Then mace started school in September!

he was officially a big boy now.

And I was at a new phase in my life...

NO more babies. I cry when I think about it.

But only for about 30 seconds.

I feel so blessed to be able to stay home and raise my kids.

I love my job every single day.

Fall brings new things....

cooler air, changing leaves, soccer, basketball and Halloween!

Lots of good things


We carved pumpkins, ate caramel apples, went to Gardner village and Wheeler Farm. WE went on hikes and took advantage of the last days of warmth.


WE had a fabulous Halloween party outside! wow we were so lucky!

It was warm that day and we went to the secret pool park and had a wonderful party!

I love all the colors fall offers....

In October Ry and I went to Miami and Key Largo.

RY earned another trip but we added more days in Miami again....

Ryan loves the Miami dolphins and likes to go once a year to see his "boys." It was a fabulous trip.

It was soooo get to feel the warm air again.

We had such a great time.
(one of my fav pics of 09' Ry was feeling the sun love!)


ahhh Miami. We love it.

Off to the Keys (key Largo) for a few days.

Fun to visit, good to see. It was great to relax, kayak, snorkel, and lay out!! The Marriot was great...we lucked out and got the suite on top of the hotel.


I think you appreciate a trip more when you get home.

We still think about the warmth and the palm trees...people are lucky to get that climate year round.

What a beautiful place.

I will stop here because I have done recent posts on Thanksgiving and Christmas....I have done so many and could include so many more pics! I probably willl later for my blogging journal.

But in the end, the year 2009 has been one full of new adventures, new homes, new experiences, cousin love, secret pools, ponds, and lakes, thrillin thursdays, sister trips, Moab trips, Miami trips, both gparents home off missions, summer lazy days, heartaches, happiness and LOVE!

WE feel blessed here at the Stott household.

And I feel blessed to have all of you as my friends. Which I need every day!

To what adventures come of 2010?

That I don't know. It will be tough to top 2009. That I will not try to do!

And don't know where my bloggy will lead me to either. I have said so much and done so much. I have completed my bloggy journal. With our pics stolen from our move...I feel grateful to have this record.

Thankful to 2009!

Bring on 2010! cheers to life!