Love thy Neighbour.

Today two of Savannah's beautiful friends knocked on the door and asked if Savannah could go to the temple. We thought it was such a great idea, half of the little neighbourhood came too. Here are a few children from three different families that the children love to play with.

These two missionaries greeted us with Guten tag! They asked us if they could practice their German with us. The one on the left spoke German and the one on the right interpreted it for us. He shared his testimony in German and the children were all amazed!! One of the boys after said he wanted to serve in Germany and Hyrum said he wanted to serve in China. It was a very neat experience.

One funny thing that occured while I was helping Beth was Isaac (our neighbour) had rolled up his pants and was "saving" Maxwell's Pokemon card from the temples big water fountain. The other 2 boys cheered on excitedly thinking he was a true hero and grumpy mother, Esther was trying to calmly and quickly get cheeky Isaac out of the cold water!

On Saturday after our primary presentation practice some of the children played in one of the playgrounds nearest to us making a "Fox Den!". From 12:00-5:15 they were constructing this and we had to drag them in to get ready for a Halloween party in the evening. They had dug out all the bark chips and made high walls etc. they were very creative and the parents were enjoying their creative enthusiam and a rather care-free Saturday arvo!

Here is only a small sample of the autumn leaves. They had fun gathering them from everywhere and then destroying their leaf pile.

All about Isaac.

Our beautiful Isaac brings so many smiles to our families faces. He is a gentle, placid, happy baby. His favorite things to do is wrestle with Savannah, Hyrum and Beth. He also loves to crawl around playing and throwing his favorite ball.













We have now been to Salt Lake a couple of times now(about a hour drive from us) to the childrens hospital for different specialist appointments and medical tests and every time he has been a little angel.








Here, he is having a EEG and we have to entertain him for 2 hours with all these electric cords attached to him and try to occupy him so he doesn't play with them. He was so good but of course he was curious and it was very exhausting to entertain him for 2 hours. He is watching TV in this photo.
































The MRI was the worst part. First we got the IV into his little wrist and then trying to sedate him was a challenge. For some reason, the drugs weren't knocking him out enough and he kept twitching. So they needed to get special permission to give him more drugs so he could be really out of it. We watched everything and it was the oddest thing for the nurse to say..."go have lunch now....come back in 40 minutes." That was the furtherest thing from my mind!!!

I really don't like hospitals and Dave and I were exhausted after our day was over and all we were doing was sitting and waiting. Isaac is a true CHAMP! We were truly greatful for our unreal neighbor, Susan who has helped look after the other children while we have been in Salt Lake.

Hiking the "Y" husbandless!

There is a big painted "Y" on the mountain above the bYu campus that we hiked to yesterday. You can see it from miles around and it is a fun hiking destination. Diana and I have planned to hike twice before with husbands but due to bad weather we had postponed it. This Saturday we had beautiful weather and decided that we would do it without our husbands who were dilligently studying ALL of Saturday. (We could do a marathon, so we could do anything!)

Our 2 cute boys thought it was fantastic to be carried and see everything at a great height. They both got a well deserved cat nap and felt like a sack of potatoes! The previous day we went with a family for a "stroll" up the canyon and Beth was shocking. Complained the whole time. So before we ventured off on our hike, mum had a serious talk to Beth. She was nearly turning 5, she was a big girl, etc. (Yes, I included a bribe!!) Well, she was fantastic! We also all enjoyed icecreams at the creamery afterwards!!

Savannah was fantastic at helping the 2 younger girls. She played fun games with them and motivated them the whole way. (One game was spotting different annimals. Well she said you get bonus points for seeing a cougar! Well I told her if she spotted one, the game would be the last thing she thought about!!

I told Hyum if he was super fast, I would give him 50 cents and it backfired on me. He had the backpack which had the drinks and snacks and when we wanted them he was nowhere to be found. He wanted that money!!

This photo doesn't show you, but it was super steep and we had a few accidents and tears trying to climb parts of the painted Y.

My children wanted a photo of how they truly felt...............SMASHED!

I was amazed at how great my children did.

Go team Liddicoats!

St George Marathon 2008

My foot after the marathon!

Two of my favorite boys and Beth. Halfway through the marathon (2 hours into it), physically and mentally it became a huge struggle. I made them get Isaac out of his comfy stroller and into the rain because I did this race for him and Dave. (Beth just happened to slip into the photo, sneaky girl.) It sounds real BARFUL but Isaac was going to the hospital during the week and I wanted to stay positive for it. Dave believed in me and Isaac needed me to believe in him! This was an emotiional photo for me. I look just a little happy!!!!

Wahhhhhooooooooooo!!!! We did it!!!
Voluntary torture is over!!

Diana Smith Woodruff and Essy. (She is connected to both sides of great prophets, amazing huh?!) The St George temple is right across the road from us.






We stayed at the Stouts house for 2 nights. One of the highligts for the children was making homemade donuts. Yummy.

The children were in heaven playing out the back. A monster sandpit, with tunnels, water, pipes.


We stayed up talking long into the night, after the marathon and listened to all the stories (again) of Stuart and Dave's mission. We felt really sick from eating so many donuts and sore from laughing so hard at all the dumb practical jokes the men were recalling.










Heidi and Stuart Stout, Dave and Essy.

The MARATHON is on a lottery system and it is hard to get into. Diana (my gorgeous running friend) had an injured cousin who couln't run in the race, so Esther ran as "Greg". I was stoked. 6500 people participated. It started at 6:45am in the dark and rain. It was amazing driving for over 25 minutes up the canyon in the dark, thinking we have to run all the way back! There were more than 100 porta-loo's in a row and over a thousand lining up in the dark, cold rain before the race. (Very humourous:) There were many helicopters hovering, police blocking roads and ambulances. The funnniest/most shocking experience for me of the whole event was all these people darting off the road and into trees to.......... relieve themselves. I could not believe 3 men who did not even dart far, but just did it right on the side of the road and you could see the water fountain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I guess they wanted to make good time:)

Last weekend we went to Park City and to Aspen Grove to explore and admire. Everyone told us to venture there to see the beautiful trees as they change color in the fall.....

By the end of the car drive the children were rather unpleasant to be around!!! Tempers were possibly flying. Hyrum was taunting Beth, Savannah was complaining of boredom, Beth was cold and Isaac hungry.....but at least we were smiling at the camera!

NEXT TIME WE VISIT HERE WE PLAN ON HIKING!!!

Go BYU Cougars!!

We have had a so much fun over the last month. We were able to go to a BYU footy game for free thanks to a friend of ours. The children loved it....but possibly the snow cone and treats more!!

On BYU campus they have a great museum called the Bean Museum and for family night we went exploring throught it and then went to a famous Milk Shake place called the MALT SHOPPE. Hyrum was incredibly pleased with his pick of flavour....an M&M milk shake. He made up his very own song and dance about his M&M milk shake which made us all laugh.

(We found one Auzzie species.....the black swan and the children were very excited to let everyone else around them know!!)

By the way....the children are trying to look terrified in this picture on the left!

Notice the cup size....that was the smallest and we all struggled through it. (Well....maybe not David or Hyrum!) David's choice of shake was the banana cream pie flavor, Beths was the plain stawberry icecream sort, Esther had the choc marshmallow type and Savannah the little American try hard had the mint-oreo flavor. Isaac was the lucky one and got to have everyones!

Every day an Adventure!!

Life here is too much FUN! We had the Kemp's stay for 2 nights and we somehow managed to fit everyone in nice and cozy. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine being in another Country, driving on the other side of the road...on an adventure with my gorgeous Alex. We were able to do a road trip to Park City Outlets and enjoy some bargains (and some laughs).

Rick, Dave and Hyrum were able to go to a BYU game. Only 62,ooo attended!!!! Alex and I were at the pool at the time with the children and when BYU scored a touch down we certainly could hear them!!!

Hyrum is definately growing up and loved being with the BOYS.

For $10 a family we went to all you could eat pancakes for breakfast. (We kinda felt sick afterwards!) Then headed to Bridalveil Falls which is gorgeous. I made the mistake of getting the children to COLLECT some rocks.....well we got some boulders instead. Next time Hrum also informed me that he would like to climb further up the waterfall. (So I will bring my first aid kit!)

I don't know if that is a grimance or a smile!

Our 2 princesses!

Thanks for the memories Kemps!