Utah welcomes back the Reays

We had been getting ready to move for quite sometime but still had a lot to do up until the day before Sean's graduation. While Sean was gone on his last field training I finished packing up our house. Lois was into all of the boxes putting stuff in and pulling stuff out, so in hopes to keep her somewhat occupied I made her a cardboard play house. Truth be told she liked decorating it with the markers most. After that she was over it and finding the next mess she could make. Packing with a 16 month old and no other adults proved to be quite challenging ... I can only wish I don't have to do it again.



It got to the point of me not being able to keep her out of every thing all day. She enjoyed destroying things while her mommy was busy packing up our apartment.Class 101020 graduation
Even a soldier in uniform can't deny their sweet little children.
Sean accepting his Bio Medical Equipment Technician certificate.

3/4 of our family ... minus one four year old.
Us with Mike and Erin Schomisch, some of our best friends in San Antonio.
We stopped in Lubbock, Texas and were lucky enough to visit with Weston. He is doing very well on his mission. He has touched so many people's hearts while serving our Lord.
Lois did so well the entire 1,259 miles home. She stayed busy eating....
watching movies...
and sleeping. With her blanket over her head of course.
Celebrating our move back to Utah with fireworks.

Porter's first day of school. Don't the parents always have a harder time accepting this? I am already freaking out knowing that he will be in kindergarten next year. Until then I will continue to call him my baby ... or until he tells me to stop. Which may be sooner than I had hoped, because while I was walking him into school he turned to me and said "Mom, you don't need to go in with me. I can go by myself." Talk about a kick in the stomach. Then I couldn't help but laugh and be happy for my growing boy.


Porter and his teacher Mrs. Staheli.
Growing up my family had a tradition on the first day of school. When me and my sisters would get home my mom would always have a box of doughnuts waiting for us on the counter. We have now passed this tradition onto our family. Porter was so excited to see a huge pink doughnut waiting for him ... yes I said pink. The kid loves that dang color. (sigh)
On Labor Day we went hiking up to Stewart Falls with Sean's family. It was a day full of fun surrounded by good family.



We are enjoying our time together now. Sean will be deploying to Afghanistan this coming May. He will be gone for 1 year at which time me and the kids will stay in Utah with family. After he gets back we will follow what path The Lord has laid out for our family. This Army life is a crazy one, but I wouldn't ask for anything different. I love my little family.