Top Moments in Iowa: Part 1

This poor blog is woefully behind, and I want a fresh start in the New Year. So my goal for the rest of the week is to post one post a day with some of our highlights. In no order, enjoy some of the best moments so far in Iowa.... 

- Family WEH Mom's Retreat -

Even before we moved to Iowa, we learned about the most amazing homeschool group made up of members of our Stake. This is only their third year as a group, but they have such a great thing going already. I was blessed to be able to attend their Mom's Retreat only a few weeks after we arrived. It was a beautiful two days of inspiration and making new friends. 

With such an amazing group of women at the helm, it's no surprise the kids have LOVED this group as well! We've learned a lot, had fun, made fast friends, and had some incredible discussions. My girls only complaint is that it isn't longer each week. 

- Northern Lights - 

One night right as we were getting ready to send the older boys to bed, Michael got a text from a ward member that you could see the Northern Lights! We loaded the kids in the back of Michael's new truck and drove to the edge of town. They were SO cool! As we came back home, the lights intensified. With our naked eyes we could see the pinks and greens dancing in the sky. Perhaps the best part was seeing the wonder on the kids faces and the whole magic of being allowed to stay up late and watch them. This was a bucket list dream come true! Now I'm hooked though and simply must see them again.

- The Iowa Sky - 

While we're at it, can we talk about the sky in Iowa... Foggy mornings, wide-open views, rainbow sunsets, the perfect blue with fluffy clouds.  We miss the mountains, but there's plenty to love about Iowa.

- Our Backyard - 

There's also plenty to love in our new house, but our backyard is especially wonderful. It's big. It's has so many trees to play in. It's a huge hill perfect for sledding. We've already added an amazing fire pit. So many memories had already been made in this beautiful space, and it's only the beginning. 

I'm already planning my garden space. It's going to be huge and SO beautiful! 

Come fall leaves were amazing! There were TONS of them and the kids had a blast playing in gigantic leaf piles. 

Once winter hit, the backyard became a perfect sledding hill. The kids are talking about building an igloo in the next big storm and they're also working on an ice rink. 

 

- Our Ward - 

Our ward here has been incredible. From the moment we moved in, they have welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. They've offered so much help, support, and love already. Part of what makes our ward wonderful is the diversity. We have a Kiswahili speaking group and a French/Creole speaking group within our ward. With diverse languages and backgrounds, the ward members are adept at bridging communication barriers. They've embraced Michael and made sure his needs are accommodated and he feels included. The youth leaders have also been SO amazing with our girls too. 

A highlight for me was our ward Christmas party. We had food from all different cultures that were delicious. There were members and non-members alike all sitting and sharing a beautiful evening. The night ended with an opportunity to anyone who wanted to share a musical talent. We had everything from a classical string quartet to a brass group and even a jazzy double bass solo. The feels of unity and camaraderie were palpable. 

Conrad's Baptism and Visits from Grandparents

Conrad was baptized on October 11th! It was a beautiful day full of all the things Conrad loves - soccer, family, Jesus, and food. 

First up, we all supported Conrad at his soccer game. It was especially great for Gram and Grandpa to get to catch a game while they were in town. 

Afterwards, we headed to the church for the baptism. Conrad had been looking forward to getting baptized with his friend Tucker in Utah, but plans had to change once we moved. Despite the fact that we just arrived in Iowa, we felt so loved and supported on Conrad's big day. So many people from our new ward came out to show their support. We were also joined by tons of family and friends on Zoom! 

Conrad has such pure, simple faith. While the Bishop met with him in preparation for his baptism, I loved hearing Conrad talk about his understanding of the gospel. He's not mindful of lots of specifics, but what he does know, he knows deeply. He loves Jesus Christ and wants to follow him. He knows the importance of trying our best each day and repenting when we make a mistake. And he's eager to do his best.

Conrad, I hope you alway remember this day! I hope you remember how many people came to support you, the beautiful music by Alicia on the piano, the powerful talk on baptism by Grandpa Smith, a lovely talk on the Holy Ghost by Grandma Ballard, your sisters witnessing your baptism, and the big hug Daddy gave you as he pulled you up out of the water. Most of all, I hope you never forget how you felt. We are SO happy for you! 

Because of Conrad's baptism, we also got our first visitors to Iowa! Grandma Ballard came to help Alicia get settled at her new home in Boone (yay for having one family member close by!) and made it to Iowa City for the day to support Conrad. It was SO special to have them both. 

My parents were also able to come and stay with us for several days. We loved having them here, exploring West Branch, and showing them some of the sights here in Iowa. 

We had a great visit! While living close has many perks, one thing I love about living far away is how much quality time you carve out when you do get together. This trip was jam packed with quality time, great conversations, and lots of fun and laughters. 

Ten Years with Orson

Orson turned TEN! In true Orson fashion, he didn't ask for anything specific for his birthday and even went with Michael to volunteer serving food at an interfaith event. Don't worry, we did celebrate with gifts (including a chess set since he LOVES chess) and a yummy dinner outside. 

Orson has become super excited about survival skills after watching the show Alone with Michael. He built himself a shelter in the backyard and read a survival skills book from the library. So as part of his birthday we got him a flint and steel set, and Michael took him and Conrad camping for the night. Michael intentionally didn't bring any matches or lighters, and asked Orson to start the fire. It took them several hours to get that fire started, but they cooked their dinner over that fire and loved EVERY minute of it. 

Orson is capable well beyond his years. He's always been a strong, hard working boy, but this year he's really become trustworthy with so many things. He can chop wood, shovel snow, mow lawns, drive a riding lawn mower, clean bathrooms, do laundry, and help out in so many ways. The amazing thing about Orson is that he does all of these so willingly, often without being asked. One day when Michael had to leave early for work, he was outside shoveling the fresh snow off the walkway without me even asking him to help out. He just sees needs around him and steps up to help.

While he may be responsible, he's definitely NOT boring! He's alway up for a good laugh, a silly antic, or a photo-bomb. 

I don't think Orson would say he loves school, but he is very on top of his studies. He starts his math each day without reminders and works diligently through his school work. When he needs my help, he's quick to seek me out. The other day he was ready for my help for quite a while while I was focused on Walter. When it finally seemed like I was done, he walked up and handed me a paper with a big red E on it. I was confused until he said, "Red E - Ready?" I love his sense of humor! 

Orson's a natural at math and has worked hard to excel. This year he's started reading much more for fun. He really loves the "I Survived" series right now. He's studious and generally loves to learn, but good luck reading his handwriting. 

Orson is an awesome brother! His easy going personality and naturally mature demeanor contributes to the good relationships he has with each of his siblings. He and Conrad are especially close. They're thick as thieves - always playing or hanging out, sometimes wrestling each-other, challenging each other to Nerf battles or tests of strength, playing outside, and occasionally getting annoyed with the other. I love the bond they share!

He's also such a great big brother to the little boys! He is helpful and fun, and they both just adore Orson.

I've loved watching Orson grow spiritually. Not only has he become more fluent reading scriptures, but he's also understanding more and more of what he reads. During discussions, he often has great insights to share. I can't believe that this next year will be his last year of Primary before advancing to Young Men's. Wild! 

The highlight of Orson's fall has probably been going hunting with Michael. He and Conrad both went on two long, cold days of deer hunting without any luck. But, then they got to go pheasant hunting with Michael and some friends in the Stake, and had a great day. Orson especially LOVED these adventures. 

The years of Orson being a little boy are waning, but we are SO proud of the amazing boy he's becoming! Happy Birthday Orson!!!