Utah Summer Activities

Since we got off of the airplane, we have been going and going. We have been able to make it to so many family functions and it has been wonderful. In the midst of everything, we found a house to rent for a few months so that we weren't jumping into something that we would regret. It is a nice home and our neighbors have been very warm and welcoming. The day our POD arrived, the Bishop of our church and his wife were walking by (I don't think by chance) and within a few minutes there were about 8 or so men unloading our POD. We were so grateful for all of the help. There are so many good people in the world.

Here are some pictures of what we have been doing.


Cousins with Grandpa Bart at Snowbird

Braden climbing the rock wall.

Collin on the rock wall. He got all the way to the top!

Lila on the rock wall. She was so brave and got about half way!

Collin, Lila and Braden all climbing the rock wall at once

Caleb, Braden, Collin, Sydnie, Lila, Kellie and Blake up at Snowbird. So beautiful!

Cousins Cup tower. They were so proud, we just had to take a picture.

Blake, Collin and Braden off to Camp Snowbird. So fun.

Caleb having fun.

Braden and Collin going up to ride the Alpine slide.

Aunt Dina and Lila Rose coming down the Alpine slide. Lila wanted to go "faster and faster".

A huge wasp nest in our new back yard! YIKES

Lila, Sydnie, Braden and Collin sleeping on the deck because they didn't want to be near the hive.

Lila riding her new princess bike. She is so girly!

Talmage and his dad and brother, Jon. This is at our nieces wedding. Don't they look sharp?

Great Grandma Oleta and the Shill and Fitzpatrick grandchildren. We love you grandma.

Talmage, Braden and Collin canoing up at Island Park for a Dyer reunion. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
Braden had so much fun on the canoe. He said he loved to go out because it was so peaceful.

Collin spent countless hours in the water catching tad poles. There were literally thousands.
Collin and Lila hanging out.
A beautiful rainbow landing right in the lake. This picture doesn't do it justice.
Grandma Kathy and Uncle Brandon preparing an amazing, enormous clam bake. It was so fun to be a part of and I even ate some clams. Not too bad.
Roasting smores and hot dogs with Grandpa Bart

Celebrating Lila's 5th birthday. We made a homemade ice cream cake and it was DE-LIC-IOUS!

Grandpa Bart and Caleb having some bonding time. Too cute.
My mom and dad. I love you so much.

Our Last Week In Pittsburgh

Our last week in Pittsburgh was filled with lots of mixed emotions. We were SO HAPPY to FINALLY be done with all of Talmages' training (14 years!!), we were also so excited to be closer to our family, and... let's be honest, Cafe Rio comes into an easy 3rd place;) HOWEVER, we really loved being in Pittsburgh. We had the best neighbors and friends and we will miss you all so much. If any of you Pittsburgher's are reading this, please know how much you touched our hearts and that you always have friends in Utah!
Here are a few pictures of our last week.



All of our earthly possessions being taken away by the "PODZILLA"

A "going away brunch" with some dear friends. I love you so much!

Talmage's Graduation Dinner. Hip Hip Hooray!

Our big yard sale. Of course, It wouldn't be a Shill yard sale without a major rain storm! aaaggh
At least, we still had pretty good business.

Lila selling cookies in-between rain storms. She did great!


Who needs toys, when there are boxes?

Lila catching "pet potato bugs"

Collin Hula-hooping at a going away open house.

Braden blowing bubbles through his mouth - Yes, through his mouth.

TRIUMPHANT!

Shots

This has been a week of shots for the Shill kids. I wanted to get them all up to date before we move to Utah. Finding a new doctor is always such a pain, so at least we are good to go for a while. On Wednesday I took Braden and Collin in. Braden had to get 4 shots and Collin had to get 2 shots. They were both so brave. In fact, Collin jumped up and volunteered to go first. I was surprised. Today, I took Lila and Caleb. Lila had to get 5 shots! and Caleb got 3. That is soooo many shots! I couldn't believe how brave they were. Lila winced, but didn't even cry. We had a good talk about them first and of course I promised a big chocolate shake. It worked. I was totally impressed. When I was young, I remember kicking, yelling, screaming etc.... I was not very brave.
Way to go Kids!

Good Friends

Our good friend, Erica and her children, drove from Ohio to come and say good-bye to us. Luckily the rain had stopped so we could enjoy a BBQ. Thanks Erica for your thoughtfulness. We will miss you and look forward to your trip out west in 2010!

Braden

Braden and his friends at Kennywood

Going solo on the rider

Braden, Brandon, Andrew and Tyler at Wild Wood Highlands

Braden's 100% edible car and homemade rocket.

Playing in the sand on Memorial Day

Braden has been trying to make the most of his time with his friends before we move. They all went to Wild Wood Highlands and spent the day playing and having a great time. They have all exchanged e-mail addresses and have made a wii network so they can play each other - which is making the move bareable. Braden has made some really great friends here in Pittsburgh.

For a school project, Braden had to make a car that rolls and was completely edible. He and Talmage had the power tools out so they could shape, sand and perfect the car. It was pretty impressive.

Collin

A book Written and Illustrated by Collin Shill

Goofy Golfing with Shane at Wild Wood Highlands

Going for a ride with Dad



Hanging out at the lake on Memorial Day.

Collin wrote his first book for Author's Day. It is titled, "Collin's Life" and it is GREAT! Collin has a real talent for art and for story telling. It was fun to spend time with him at the school and have him read me his special book. (p.s. the tie dye shirt was a school project ;)

Collin spent the day with his good friend, Shane Reiley, at Wild Wood Highlands. They played hard and came home looking exhausted.

Lila

Lila right before her ballet recital

(Picture by Jim Scott Studio)

Going away party with Lila and her little friends

Making beautiful sand castles with Kaitlin Chou

Walking hand in hand with Luke Nutter at Kennywood. So cute.

Lila had her first dance recital and it was SO CUTE! She did so well and she was so proud of herself. After the recital, we all went to our favorite ice cream shop, Brewsters, to celebrate. It was a fun night.

Lila has been a little sad about the idea of moving away from her friends so we invited them over for a party! We had a really great time. We ate, played games, read stories and just spent time together. We are grateful for good friends.