I know I know. These pictures are from months ago in Arizona but I forgot to post them. Steph still wanted to see them so here they are.
BBQ & Swim at Aunt Debbie's
Out at Jubies House!
So this is my cousin Julie. Better known to me as Jubes, Jubers, or Jubie. We were very close cousins growing up and in Highschool I even ran away to her house. It only lasted two nights before it dawned on me that my mom and her sister, Julie's mom, were just as close and my every move was relayed on! I was such a crazy rebel! Running away all 10 miles to Mesa! I was probably mad because my mom wouldn't buy me the shirt that wasn't on sale at VF factory outlet. JK. Love you mom! It was actually all about this crazy hoodlem I was dating that my parents wanted to do everything in their power to keep me from. Yea um.... meet Gabe Rojas, my husband and accomplise to running away and all things bad and mexican. Hee. Hee. Nice that we can joke about it now since he is the favorite son in law and all things good and wonderful....and still mexican. Anyways, I am getting off track....back to Julie. I don't get to see my cousin Jubes as often anymore since we have lived away for the last 5 1/2 years so it is fun when we visit to get together. She has two boys and is trying very hard to compete with me on who will have more boys. Her third will be coming in August. Her and her cute family moved out to who knows what town it is and built a BEAUTIFUL home. It is gorgeous and is the perfect neighborhood for all those grown up boys that want to be young again. My boys didn't want to leave the toys but we had to say goodbye and we can't wait to see you guys next time! Take it easy with that sweet baby in your belly. Love ya Jubers! 
The Phoenix Zoo
We got the chance to go to the Phoenix Zoo and the boys seemed to really enjoy it. My camera died so I don't have very many fun pictures but here are a few. Some new animals at the zoo that we noticed were these neat cows called Watusi. Redden and Ryder had just been with Papa and Gabe to go to papa's friends house to see some Watusi. At the zoo the kids revealed to grandma that papa was the proud owner of a watusi cow he was just keeping it at Sterling's house! Sorry dad! Guess you better watch what you say around the kids if you don't want it shared! Grandma thought it was pretty funny and now the watusi cow doesn't have to hide out at Sterling's, it got to come to it's real home! After walking the majority of the zoo in the heat we were pretty ready to go but hadn't done the farm yet with the petting zoo. I asked the kids and of course they voted to go and so we reluctantly headed that way. I was so glad that we did because I think it was their favorite part. They probably wouldv'e brushed the goats for an hour. Ranger was in heaven running free from goat to goat not afraid at all. He is so opposite from my older two boys at this age. I'm a little worried as to what the future will bring from this one! He got a little rough with one goat trying to ride it like a horse and got head butted in the gut. He just cracked up laughing at it thinking it was now a fun game! We had fun and to top it off made our Sonic stop on the way home. Ahhhhhh.. Thanks Grandma, Steph & kiddos for going with us to make it fun. 
Fun in Grandma and Papa's backyard
It was such nice weather in AZ that the kids wanted to be outside just about the whole time. Ranger would throw the biggest fit whenever it was time to go inside. I realized he really had never gotten to play outside yet. Last summer he was too small and spent outside in the stroller, and it's been too cold in Utah to run free outside. No wonder he was in heaven! Ryder and Emma put in their hours as usual having casual conversations from the teter-tot. It's truly amazing how long they can stay on there together! 
Our Spring Break
I don't know why it takes me so long to get back on track after a vacation but it does. I am finally posting some pictures of our Spring Break in AZ. We were so happy to leave when we woke up Friday morning to a new blanket of snow. As pretty as it is, it is April and I am so done with the snow. I say that as it snowing today on May 1st! We left the freezing snow and arrived to a wonderful 95 degrees. It was hot all week but I couldn't complain about anything except for how white all of our legs were when we finally got to put on a pair of shorts! Very sad. We went swimming at my newleywed sister, Natalie's, apartment and the boys loved being able to swim and not be freezing when you get out. Our neighborhood has a wonderful heated year round pool but getting out is torture! More pictures of our trip coming soon. I decided to go ahead and post these before I started getting called a slacker again!
What we woke up to.............
What we arrived to..............
General Conference
Gabe and I got the chance to attend our first general conference session. My parents gave us two tickets that they had for the Sunday afternoon session. I have to say I got so much more out of that session than I think I ever have! I doubt it had anything to do with the fact that I didn't have any kids hangin or climbing on me asking what snack they could have now, or that I was actually dressed and sitting up in a chair instead of being all snuggled in my pjs under a blanket "listening" with my eyes closed. I usually enjoy the talks most from the Ensign. It was so nice to go! The talk on mothers really hit my heart. I have been in a stage of life where I sometimes feel frustrated and find myself wondering what I am here for. Does anyone notice what I do? Does Gabe realize in our almost 10 years together I have changed about 6,000 diapers, done 3,600 loads of dishes, or answered to the call from the bathroom of, "MOM, I'M DONE!" about 1,460 times? Does it mean anything? Why can't I get everything done right - how and when I want to? Many moments are filled with joy but it is overwhelming as a mom to sometimes feel inadequate. Here is a quote that I love and read often.
Woman to Woman
Someone will always be prettier. They will always be smarter. Their house will be bigger. They will drive a better car. Their children will do better in school. And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go, and love you and your circumstances. Think about it. The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart. And the most highly favored woman on your job may be unable to have children. And the richest woman you know, she's got the car, the house, and the clothes.... might be lonely.
And the Word says if I have not loved, I am nothing. So, again, love you. Love who you are. Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say "Iam too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!"
"Winners make things happen. Losers let them happen."
I love all of you women in my life (even if most of you never leave me a comment) and I cherish our friendships. You are all wonderful women and mothers and most importantly..... daughters of our Heavenly Father.
Wow - that was a pretty deep post!
Gabe and I outside the conference center...... Do you like the haircut he gave himself???
NEW POSTS!!!
OK! OK! OK! I have gotten all your messages in person or on the blog that you are all so tired of looking at my adorable Ranger! He's so cute I thought everyone just wanted to look at him over and over again! No, things have been so busy and crazy lately that bloging has not been at the top of my list, obviously. I have devoted almost this entire day to uploading pictures to catch everyone up on the Rojas family. So, now that you are here, this may take you a while. To start from where I left off, scroll down to Ranger's picture that you all know so well by now. I think I have everything close to the right order in which it happened. Love you all and hope you are doing great. I have much catching up to do on all of your blogs. If you are here visiting, please leave me a little comment so that I can keep in touch with you and get in contact with those I haven't seen or heard from in a while. If you have a blog and I don't have your link, leave it for me!!!!!
Snowboarding
I LOVE SNOWBOARDING!!! My sister Natalie and her husband Tommy followed us to our home from Moab so that they could go snowboarding. It worked out perfectly! We ended up having a storm that night and so it put some new snow on the mountain which made for easier learning. Because of the storm they also closed the road to Gabe's work so he was able to go with us. It was Natalie and my first time and we did so good, I guess. That's what the guys keep telling us. The first run took us forever but after we figured out the balance thing it was awesome. I wish I wouldv'e done this at the beginning of the season! Gabe took me skiing once this year and it was allright but by the end of the day I was tired and frustrated. I don't know why but snowboarding was much more fun. Look out for me next year! I'm going to start training for the winter olympics! Ha Ha. You all will have to come visit next year so that I can go and get better. Nat, I hope your buns have recovered from being frozen and fallen on all day. Next time I bet you'll wear some different clothes! Thanks for coming and having fun up there with us. Give it a couple of days and you'll be able to walk again!
Arches National Park
After all that Volleyball we got to wake up Sunday morning and go to the Arches National Park. That place was sooooooo neat! Gabe and I will be going back soon to see more of it. We didn't have that much time since my parents had to drive back to AZ that same day and I made everyone sit there while I took like a million pictures! We managed to get a couple short hikes in and see several of the arches. Amazing. If you live around here and haven't been there yet, I think it is worth the trip if you like that sort of thing. We are going to take the kids camping there sometime this summer. Anyone want to go?!! 
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