Hoosier State for the WIN!

Life is pretty crazy right now....sorry for the delay on blog post life! 

We will be moving back to our home of Indiana this upcoming week. 

We have been planning our move back for awhile now but things really just fell into place all at the same time. 

To catch up.....Levi had a phone conversation with TBird - Surveying and Engineering Firm (he used to work with when we were in college as a surveyor) he has always stayed in contact with them throughout the years and gotten them lots of opportunities for jobs.  

They said they were doing well just struggling to get someone in the door to help with all the work....Levi jokingly asked if there was room for him to join their team. They said Yes. 

Two days later the deal was complete. 

Over almost the past year we have been planning to build and had asked Levi's grandparents last May if they would ever be interested in selling us some of their farm. They said Yes. 

We were beyond thrilled. We had prayed for a direction of where to live and finally settle down. 

This was it. Super Corny but Perfect Replay - We were married on their land and our first date was actually there too at his Great Aunt's house. 

In the midst of all of this Levi's Great Aunt (Clairana who our Clairana is named after) lives right next to Levi's grandparents decided to move and sell her house. 

We decided that although the house is not perfect for us it gets us to the location we want to be and would be an easier transition to moving back....with the hope that we may build in the near future. 

We bought the house. 

We will be buying additional acres from Levi's grandparents this fall to further our homestead and start our farm. 

I am very grateful for the love and support that we have had from everyone.
My Father In Law (Kelly) ALWAYS is there when we move. He is actually flying out this week to help us drive home.
My heart (and my mom's too) was VERY thankful to know I did not have to drive separate the whole 29 hours with the kids.

Most people know that over the past few years my side of the family has gotten much smaller.  

I do not have any grandparents or great Aunts/Uncles on my side for my children to bond with .....

I am looking forward to all the moments we will share as a family on the Evans' farm. 

Levi has a less stressful, MUCH shorter Commute Job. We have Land for our Farm. 

We have a House. We are Blessed. And So Very Thankful. 

Our Crazy Adventure Life is Changing to something more Settle and We Are Ready.

Indiana Here We Come. For Good. 

Bella is CRAWLING!

I have been waiting for her to crawl more than any other baby we have had.....she is doing it! 

I am very anxious to see what is in store for us with her hips. 

Once she begins to walk, we will see her specialist again.

Sunday with Cabella Lou

Most times, Levi and I switch off with Bella during the three hours we are at church on Sundays....

but my duties were pretty slow on Sunday and I felt like with all our changes lately Levi needed the spiritual uplift....so Bella and I hung out while everyone else went to class. 

Salt Lake City Continued....

Backseat Riding....

It wouldn't be a road-trip if we didn't have mechanical issues!
Thankfully, we started smoking when we stopped to get gas and this little JiffyLube was open till 7:00 and gave
Levi a second opinion.
$1200 and a few hours later we were back on the road to SLC.
Although we did end up having to travel the rest of the trip without A/C. 

City of Nephi! We were planning on stopping here because so many people meet Nephi and then tell him how beautiful the city is....but after we finally got on the road after the car incident we didn't stop again till SLC. 

Watching a church movie at the visitor center. 

Liberty Park

This has been on my bucket list for awhile.
In the LDS church, the Primary children have a saying which is CTR which means Choose the Right.
We got CTR rings for the four of us. 

It truly is so breathtaking. 

I really enjoyed this simple and perfect painting. I had never seen it before. The Pearly Gate by Levi Jackson 1987

Relief Society Beginnings - The first sisters who put together the organization called the Relief Society that we have today in the church. Women helping Women. 

Fountain Dancing in the Conference Center

The First Presidency 

Park City!

Ski Resort 

Coraline and Levi

Random Fun with the littlest

Our little beautiful Beastie.

Salt Lake City Trip Take 1

 We did it! We ventured from Arizona to Salt Lake City, Utah!

It has been on my bucket list for a LONG time and it didn't disappoint.

Magical.

First Stop - St George

Lots of people talk about how beautiful St George is and we have known several people who have moved there. It was also a halfway point for us and we didn't want to push ourselves seems we had no timeline. 

Our hotel was basic but the pool and hot tub were AMAZING and both were hot. Also, we found this dinosaur museum where you can actually see people carving on site and finding actual dinosaur tracks! It was crazy cool! Everyone enjoyed it - Nephi has been really big into dinosaurs lately and Coraline wanted to take a picture with all the statues. 

This is my friend - please take my picture with my friend. 

 Then we went to see the St. George LDS temple.

Because Family Photos with Kids.....Ukkk Nephi 

Again....Photos with Kids....picking their nose! 

Flowers were beautiful and everywhere!

Then it happened! We arrived at SALT LAKE CITY!

Interactive Display of Jerusalem 

Adam and Eve

11 foot Marble Statue of Christ
The room was amazing and the acoustics in the room were fun.
Levi decided to sound like Christ and talk to Nephi and Clairana

Of course in this photo my belly is showing - dang it for trying so hard to get a decent family photo!

My Eternal Companion!

Our Model at Temple Square 

Handcart used to travel from Illinois to Utah 

The model of the inside of the Salt Lake Temple 

Then we went to Liberty Park 

 Funny Sign in our Hotel Salon

Pioneer Dress - Up Time

Original Press used to make the first several thousand Book of Mormons

Joseph’s Pepperbox Pistol and Hyrum’s Single Shot Pistol (Hyrum Smith was Joseph's brother).
These guns were used by both men for their defense during the attack at Carthage

Hyrum & Joseph Smith -
Account of when they were being attacked and later murdered at Carthage Jail
 for their beliefs 

Hyrum's clothes with the bullet hole in the leg.

The paintings in all the Visitor Centers were beautiful.
(everything besides the temple is open to everyone)

Pioneer Dress Up Station

Family Photo with Angel Moroni - Gold Statue that stands on several LDS temples.
The angel Moroni is the heavenly messenger who first visited the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1823. 

Then we went to visit the LDS Conference Center - Twice a year the Prophet and Church Leaders give talks that are broadcast all over the world. 

General Conferences are conducted each October and April and comprise of six two-hour sessions over three days.

12 HOURS of MEETINGS on the TV and 

Crazy Enough we LOOK FORWARD TO IT! Lots of TV watching and quiet family time and LOTS of FOOD. Its like the Superbowl for Mormons.  

On Top of the Conference Center - the roof has over 4 acres of trees and flowers and lots of fountains

Levi and the Littles at one entrance of the Conference Center - the waterfall cascades down the south facade. 

Ceiling in the Conference Center

Conference Center seats 21,000 people

 Then we toured The Book of Mormon Stories Gallery

Jesus Christ Visits the Americas
Levi carried Cabella everyday which was awesome
except for when Coraline got tired
then I had to carry a two year old......

Prophet Nephi with our little Nephi

Nephi subdues his rebellious elder brothers in this painting

More Fountains

Then we went up to Park City to play in the snow and check out the ski resort - made us feel a little like being back on Mount Baker - although the drive up was rather boring compared to that drive!