Moran Family Fun

We made an extended stop in Wyoming on our way to Utah and we're so glad we did. It was so nice to spend some time in Cheyenne after almost seven years away. We were able to catch up with old friends, see what's changed and what's stayed the same, celebrate the Fourth of July, and recharge before hitting the road again. We left our hotel in Nebraska a little early in the morning so that we could make it to Cheyenne in time for the Western Hills Ward's annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast. We were a little late, but there were still pancakes left when we arrived and, even better, there were many familiar faces there! One of the wonderful benefits of military life is that everywhere we've lived we have been blessed to find great friends, but it's sad when we have to move and say goodbye to those friends. Something I guess I didn't think about before this summer's trip is the fact that thanks to our transient life we now have friends everywhere! It...

That's how long it took for us to drive from our home in Maryland to my parents home in Utah.  The last time we attempted this cross-country trip was right before we moved to Germany in 2008. Before taking to the open road we got the car all checked out. We've been driving the same van for eight years and 185,000 miles so we don't have quite as much faith in it's abilities as we used to. Once the car was given the road trip green light we loaded up the car with suitcases and snacks and set out for our first night's stop - Champaign, Illinois. Everything was still looking pretty orderly with just a few hours of driving under our belts. By the time we made it to our final destination the van really needed a good cleaning. Along the way the girls learned that rest stops are pretty cool. You just can't beat clean bathrooms, picnic tables, playgrounds, and wifi after hours of driving. It was always nice to get out and run around a little before buckling back up...

We recently celebrated Natalie's half birthday by having some of her friends over for a party. With an  actual birthday that falls smack dab in the middle of December she's missed out on parties with friends because no one, including me, wants to add another thing to their December calendars. So we've always kept things small for her birthday celebrations - just the family and maybe a close friend to share in the excitement of blowing out the candles. This year we promised her a half birthday party and she has been literally counting down the days.  After throwing around lots of ideas for what kind of party it would be, she finally decided on a rainbow theme. It was perfect for our sweet Natalie who spends much of her time with her head in the clouds with unicorns, butterflies, and rainbows and every day is the best day ever. I took the rainbow idea and ran with it, suddenly seeing rainbows everywhere I looked. The first step to any birthday party is planning so I st...

Another school year has come to an end and like every other year it passed by with amazing speed! At the beginning of the year I was most worried about how they would get along at their new schools and we're so happy that they all did really well adjusting and getting used to Maryland.  They still miss their old schools and their friends of course, but I think that the new is starting to feel less new for everyone.  Just as a reminder, here's the whole crew on the first day of school back in August 2014. Some of them have longer hair, some of them now have shorter hair, and I'm pretty sure everybody except for Madison grew a little taller!  First Day of School 2014 And some last day pictures of our sweet kids before they headed off to school: Goodbye 11th grade, hello 12th! Ready or not, Madison is gearing up for her last year of high school.  We getting a head start this summer by visiting four colleges while we're on our trip out West. Suddenly Madis...