Spring Break (Heber)

This year for Spring Break we ended up staying close and doing things that we had never done before in Utah. We went with my sister lisa and got a hotel in Heber.  First off we went hiking, unfortunately for max he spent the whole time sleeping in the back of the car with a barf bin.  Luckily he made it without barfing.  We then we to the crator in Heber and swam there. It was a fun adventure and something we had never done before. 
We also scheduled to go to the ropes course in Park city. What an adventure that was.  I have never done anything like that and was scared to death. I felt like my legs were going to fall off from all the shaking they were doing (I was so scared). I finally warmed up and I even did the 60 ft ropes course (but didn't love it). I realized these were not things that we were really exposed to when we were kids. Never had anything like this to get us out of our comfort zone.  My kids rocked it. They are used to pushing themselves and doing hard things.  Lily was the biggest rock start she just goes like it is no big deal. She has always had no fear.  Fun way to spend our time as a family. We loved every minute of it.
 
Nelson, Laura, Lily          Bowen & Burton Family

 
My kids on the rope course       Nelson & Passion

The gang at the ropes course

2016 New Year Resolutions (Laura )

This year my word is ENGAGED.  Engaged means- occupy, attract or involve, someones interest or attention, involved in participate. This year I want to be more engaged. So many aspects I can be engaged in. They include:
* more attentive with my family. Be fully focused, involved and be in the moment instead of worrying about what I need done.
*be engaged in my communication with others
*be engaged in my exercise, always push and always improving
*be engaged in my scripture study
* be engaged in learning of the atonement

D&C 58:27 teaches verily I say men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will and bring to pass much righteousness for power is in them, wherin they are agents unto themselved.

Skiing

The kids have really taken to skiing this year, they have loved it.  Max and his friends ended up getting passes to Nordic Valley. Luckily we had a ton of snow, so it was an amazing year to ski anywhere. They are all pretty great at skiing, I am just in awe of how fearless Lily is. She just zooms down the hill and is not afraid of anything. We have been grateful that the kids have been able to take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful world that is surrounding us. 

Spencer, Max & Crew

Nelson

My Temple experiences (Laura)

This Year I made it a goal to go to the newly opened Ogden Temple 5-6 times a month. I am in a position that the kids are at school and I have a bit of free time. If I can make it to work out daily I figured I should make it a priority to hit the temple multiple times a month.
I have loved being in the temple. I text Nelson every time I leave saying did I tell ya how much I love the temple. O go the same day 4 x of the month so I have gotten familiar with a lot of the workers.  I feel like we are friends. It is crazy because when I go other days I feel as if the people should know me, but they don't.
I have had many amazing experiences in the temple that I will forever be grateful of.  Some of them include:
* In Feb I went to a session, I was talking to a lady who was from out of town on business travel with her husband. She told me how she lived 45 minutes out of Bryce Canyon and that the closest temple was Manti. She had a two hour drive= WOW. In that session I saw 3 older men- one was blind, one in a wheel chair and on 80 + years old. As I sat and watched men help them I started to cry. Two things hit me that day:
1.  I truly never have to sacrifice to be to the temple.
2.  Amazing to see the Christ like love and generosity that people show to help others out.

* Another time in February I went to do initiatories and it was so dead no one was there. I committed right then to go through again since I always pray to have it not so busy, it was so worth my time as I love the work we do in the temple.

* In August I had the chance to go clean the temple. It was exactly what I needed. I was cleaning the basement with friends. We had to clean the laundry room. It was exactly what I needed. It was big and had lots of tables and commercial washers/dryers and tons and tons of bins that needed cleaning. The work seemed never ending. I had been feeling overwhelmed about my load at home and this scene put everything into perspective for me.

* In August I was at the temple for my Nephew Logan's endowments.  In the middle of the movie with Adam and Eve the water in the background stuck out to me.  I had a sudden impression that is how I need to be, more calm in my life. Stay calm no matter what situation I am with my kids.

* I am shooting to go to the temple 52 times this year once I hit that goal I will keep pushing. It has been so amazing to feel the spirit. I absolutely love the temple. Today for some reason I cried the whole time I was in initiatories. Not sure if it was pain or just the spirit that touched me and made me so grateful for my temple covenant.

* In September I was asked to speak at Stake Conference and was completely overwhelmed and scared.  I felt complete peace to know I was on temple grounds and my happy place was right next door. 
I am so grateful for the impression I had at the beginning of the year to increase my attendance in the temple as it has completely strengthened me.

Heavenly Father Truly knows us

I am so grateful for the lessons I am always learning of Heavenly Fathers love and guidance in our lives.  I recently had an experience that helped me realize this more.  My internal medicine doctor announced that he was moving his practice from McKay Dee Hospital to Layton.  I had been thinking before that announcement that I was ready to try a different approach as I didn't think I had been feeling any better.  That doctor also had me on a narcotic medicine for my pain and I really wanted to get off of it, but didn't know the best approach to do so.  I felt like this was my time to truly listen and figure out what Heavenly Father wanted me to do to figure more out about my pain. 
I kept trying to get a different doctor in the same clinic to accept me as a new patient, but kept getting denied because of the medicine I was on.  I felt like no one was listening, as I was telling them I wanted off that medicine. 
After a few weeks of still praying and trying to figure it out I had a strong impression to look into Tyler Dixon (our good family friend). I kind of brushed the impression off and was still pursuing the other pain clinic. I got a call that day from the clinic saying a dr would take me but if I asked once to be put on that narcotic they would kick me out.  I realized this was my answer right there, they were not listening to me.  I had told them all along I never wanted to be on that medicine. I decided to listen to my prompting and go to Dr Dixon.  It has been the best decision. We have started trying injections in the base of my head.  It sounds weird but they seriously relive a bunch of the pain I am dealing with.  This approach has been the best so far for me.
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who guides us and helps us at different points in our life.  

Vernal Utah Trip

Our kids absolutely love and adore their Bowen cousins who live in Vernal (Matt & Jenny's kids) if they could they would spend every second with them. They just connect really well with them.  So grateful they moved closer so our kids could have a better relationship with them. This year for UEA we headed down to Vernal to spend time with them.  We were able to play and do a lot of fun things with them. Some of our highlights included:

Going to the Vernal Temple. Love being able to let Max experience the different temples and see the difference between all of them. This one felt weird to me since it was an old church, but all the same is a temple and is still the house of the lord.

Went hiking and mountain biking up a fun canyon. Of course grandma had to take home some of these rocks so we spent some time pulling them rocks out and loading them up to take home.

We were all able to go night hiking to some really fun hikes. The only down fall was it took way to long to drive to it.  I don't love sitting in a car at all.

We went and enjoyed the dinosaur park. Always a fun time with family

And last but not least we went mountain biking.  Looks like I really dressed for the occasion. It is always a fun time spending it with family.

Grandma Miner

The kids had the opportunity to be by their Great Grandma Miner a lot.  She was their Grandpa Bowen's mom who lived with them for a few years while she was unable to take care of herself. The kids were able to go visit with her every Sunday in her room when we were there for dinner. We often got to say prayers with her as well as just talk to her about her day. She loved to talk to us about the church and about their days.  This was the first grandparent that the kids really remember aging and dying.  They loved their Grandma Miner and the memories they made with her. They were not there with her when she passed away but were able to spend some precious time with her after she did pass.  We were thankful for the Bowen's for taking care of her all these years so the kids could have a better relationship with her.

The Cousins at the funeral home

The cousins at the graveside

Asher with Grandma before she died