Florida Fun

🌴The Messy Magic of Family Vacations

Every couple of years, we pull off the ultimate challenge—getting the whole family together for a vacation✨ Sounds dreamy, right? Well… it is, and it’s also beautifully chaotic. 

We just got back from our Florida adventure, and while there were plenty of unforgettable moments, there were also: 😵‍💫An eye stye,🦻A clogged ear, 🤒More than half of us sick on the ocean, 🎒A lost bag, ✈️Missed flights… and more unexpected surprises! Because let’s be real—family trips are the definition of “the messy middle.” And yet, as Brené Brown says, “The middle is messy, but that’s where the magic happens.”

 ✨The magic was also in the tender mercies: 🏡Beautiful places to stay,👩‍⚕️Doctors available when needed, 💍A lost (and found!) necklace, 🍽️Everyone cooking & sharing meals and fun activities & lessons, 🐟the most delicious fish ever, and so much more! 

And through it all, Jesus was in every detail~ the moments of joy, the mishaps, and everything in between. When we slow down and notice, the miracles are everywhere🙌 Here are some fun snapshots from our adventure! 

📆Already counting down to our next big family trip in 2027—because no matter how messy it gets, I wouldn’t trade it for anything💙

Miami ~ the best VRBO backyard ever!

Everglades

Freetime Fun

Miami Zoo

Marvelous Miami

Mrs. Mac's Kitchen

Key West Walking

Dry Tortugas 

Deep Sea Fishing with Delph Guys

Key West was packed full of adventures

Beautiful Family Pictures

Enjoying our delicious fish ~ so good!

Loved our trip and can't wait for the next one!

February FUN

Our True Aggies before leaving Logan😂

Sarah's half way there with our cute girlie💗

Playing with Koop, eating lasagna, Kato's kennel and blown over in wind, outdoor library

Koop and the expanding ball

TobyMac Concert with Trusty's ~ SO GOOD!

Other bands their too - Crowder, CAIN, Ryan Stevenson & Terrian

LeAnn's fastest 5k in a long time, Jeff flew with Connie, Dan's headshots for our podcast episode, Fred & Loretta at the end of his cancer treatment, a little windstorm, great RS experiment

Koop's so glad when Daddy comes home!

Kurt's the best Koop Dad ever💙

one of my most tender gifts, cute Dad & son gaming, love working at the temple, delicious Newks lunch from the Ks, B&S enjoying Tandori with J

LeAnn birthday fun with Kooper and a beautiful 3 mile Koop Loop walk in the 70 degree sunshine🌞

Can't wait for Raelynn to come ~ love these beautiful flowers and card from Sarah & Brandon!

Brandon & Sarah Baby Shower

Paulette & Galen gave Sarah & Brandon such a fun baby shower!  It was LeAnn's fastest trip to Utah ever, more time traveling than there, but way worth it!  Fenway welcomed me when I arrived:). So fun to spend the evening with Hayden, Steph, Mom and see more family at the shower~

Brandon & Sarah are the powerhouse parents in the making💙 Grandma made them this beautiful afghan.

Fun to be with MIL, Mom & Sarah's Mom too.  Great advice from everyone.  We now know cute girlies name ~ beautiful Raelynn!

Michelle, Lena, Paulette, Galen, Jana, Jayda & Emerly ~ they created the funnest games for everyone to do and brought yummy food too.  So grateful for the awesome Austin family! (sure missed the ones who couldn't come)

How we love and appreciate Brandon & Sarah and can't wait to meet our cute girlie Rae💗

January Joys & Sorrows

So excited for our first grand-daughter!

Here's some Brandon & cute girlies pictures...

LeAnn's cute new Sunday School class.

Jeff gets to teach the adults.

Best callings ever!

Nick took the car out to Utah along with the teddybear😂

Jeff & Nick were able to tour Jeff's training center🛫

Utah Family Fun🎉

January 10th: such a sad day ~ our crazy cute Nutty went to doggy heaven this morning. Ironic that we got her in 2017, the last time it snowed in GA where we live. Today there was a few inches of snow, and she would have loved to play in it. 

We’ve been blessed to have Nutmeg in our lives for almost 8 years. She has run and walked with LeAnn for countless hours. She has made me feel safe. She has taught me a lot about anxiety and destruction – we’ll forever have tender reminders when we look around our house and yard of what she has destroyed. She’s always been so excited when we come home, even if we were gone for 2 minutes. 

We can’t thank our dear neighbors that have helped us through these last few weeks. Thrish works at the vet office and has gotten Nutty the best doctor and care, and was with me this morning as we put her to sleep. And Terry came over and helped me load Nutty in the car since she couldn’t move anymore. They always loved Nutmeg, even when she chased their cats frequently. They were so good to her and gave her lots of lovin every time we were talking. I could call them anytime to ask animal questions. We certainly hit the jackpot on neighbors! 

I hated to have to tell the boys this morning that she was gone. They wanted a dog all their growing up years and it took me a long time before I was ready to add more craziness to the mix. The boys were so good to her and had lots of fun experiences together. When they brought our daughters-in-law home to meet us, they were so cute with her too. 

 Nutmeg was really Jeff's baby. She knew he was the one that would give her the most treats and the most petting. She followed him around everywhere and loved to cook meat with him because she got lots of tastes. She loved to lay on the bed right by him and when he was on trips, she’d nap where he sleeps. Jeff says he had 3 girls ~ me, Nutty and Sally (his mustang). What a tender mercy that we have a granddaughter coming this summer, so he’ll have another girl in his life soon. 

Nutmeg has added endless adventure and unconditional love to our lives. We’re going to miss her so much! She was our one and done dog ~ and was perfect for our family.  We love you Nutty ~ keep singing and chasing squirrels with all the beautiful animals in heaven that are excited to see you💙

Koops first snow, N&J's friend serving lunch, beautiful flowers from our cute Ks

The kids were sending tender pics on our family text today, here are a few...

January 16th LeAnn was set apart to work at the Atlanta Temple ~ so blessed!

2nd Annual PTC Half Marathon: started in the rain and wet feet throughout, but got-r-done and ran the whole thing ~ I got this and Jesus' got me💙

Delicious Newks salad the day before, pic with Jeff Stebar who won his age group

Another snow day (much less traumatic than the one 11 days ago when Nutty left), Jesus bracelet from the cute neighbor boys, Nick's turtle lights up our backyard even in the snow🙌

Kristen got really sick & Kurt was working so we got to spend a couple days hanging out with Super Kooper🎉

Beautiful key chain from 2 cute girlies out on path while taking Koop for a walk in our awesome new stroller Jeff found at Clothes Less Traveled for best deal ever, Jeff's hat in the cold, ABC's of life in George's office, Koop found the remote and tried to download a channel that would "nourish his mind, body & soul" Go Koop!

Bray's so generously donated to celebrate Nutmeg.  So many kind things from friends: texts, cards, hugs and much more.  Mom & Dad sent us a cozy blanket, Chris made a cute animal card, Jill gave us some "Golden Nutmeg" handsoap, Kim & Todd made the coolest light that has pics of Nutty on it - we now use it as our downstairs nightlight.  Beyond grateful for dear friends and tender memories.

Koop's Home One Birthday

Koop's Home One Party🥳

Family, nachos and baseball fun!

Koop didn't care for his cupcake, not ready for sugar yet.

Golf club set from Mema & Pop and Kurt's hands when he was one years old💙

So fun going to Newks on Koops one year old day🎉