five months already?

Today marks 5 months since baby James came into this world. I can't believe how fast the last five months have gone. Today I took a big load of baby clothes to the garage that James has grown out of and I wanted to cry. My baby can't be getting this big this fast. He is such an angel. He is the smiliest, happiest baby. Yes, he has a talent for crying/screaming (today when I picked him up from the daycare, Marge told me his face started to turn purple he was so upset), but he is also so easy to please and content most of the time. He loves his brother Thatcher. He is so interested in the world around him. He loves to put everything in his mouth and will suck vigorously on anything that gets close to him. He loves to move around and today he started not just grabbing at the toys on his baby gym, but kicking at them. He has the greatest little laugh and is super ticklish. He is the best snuggler and the sweetest little boy.
Happy 5-month birthday sweet baby James.

a day of projects

I finished the dresser experiment yesterday which resulted in a day of organizing today. I am such a nerd, but love the feeling I get when I make my home a better place. Here is the finished product. It was super easy, Ty is extremely happy with it, and I am happy enough!

Oh...and my angelic Thatcher made it possible to reorganize his closet, reorganize my closet, do a little redecorating, organize and clean the garage, work on some sewing projects, iron 4 shirts, cook dinner, and make cookies. Am I a neglectful mom if he seems just as happy playing with himself as he is when we play together? I usually don't even attempt to get that much done in one day, but I was on a roll, and Thatcher was a sweetheart. We also got to play with Lexi and Michelle so that helped me to feel a little less guilty.

gratitude

...for my home (that we keep nice and clean and comfortable)
...for my boys (Thatcher who played with himself for hours today and James who makes me happy even though he needs a lot of attention on some days)
...for the Gospel (I love hearing Thatcher pray, I love visiting teaching, I love Conference talks)
...for family (I can't wait to see Ryan and Mel this weekend)
...for my husband (who ran errands with me, rode bikes with Thatcher, deveined a ton of shrimp, did the dishes, and fed James a bottle--all after a long day of work)
...for my fairly successful dresser project
...for folded laundry
...for a really great dinner (coconut shrimp to die for!)

LOST

We watched the series finale last night. We didn't get to bed till almost midnight. That means we went to bed almost three hours later than most nights. I am glad LOST is over. I am tired of having freaky dreams every Wednesday night. I still don't understand half of what happened throughout the series and I really don't understand the ending. I am trying really hard not to think too much about it, because it just confuses me. It was a good show, a great show even, but I am happy to say goodbye. I can't wait for 'So You Think You Can Dance' to start on Thursday. That is my true love.

he rolls!

- Last week James was able to somehow move across the room through his wiggling.
- A few days ago James started to arch his back in his bumbo so dramatically that it freaked me out.
- Two days ago I put James in his bouncer seat on the floor and a few minutes later looked over to find him on the floor. He was just laying there happy as can be.
- Yesterday he was lying on a lounge chair at the Ridings and Kristi got nervous because he was throwing his body all around. I assured her that he wasn't rolling yet, but agreed that he was moving a lot and picked him up.
- This morning James rolled from back to front (he has been rolling from front to back since he was 3 weeks old). He isn't even five months old and he is rolling both ways (Thatcher was six months before he was doing that)! Looks like I have a little prodigy.
- The rest of today James has been rolling, wiggling, and moving like never before. It is crazy how fast things can change.... this means a lot for us: time to get Thatcher sleeping in the toddler bed (something we have tried a few times and is not going so well); time to help James sleep well enough through the night that he can go into Thatcher's room; and time to get both boys to go down and wake up together (even for naps). This is going to be tricky!

my new project

A guy just dropped it off. It is pretty ugly, has a bad bright blue paint job, is cracked, needs new knobs...but I am kind of excited. I have wanted a dresser for a long time and I hope it works out.

tired

I was talking to my dad on the phone today and he said I sounded tired. I never talk to my dad and I don't feel like he knows me very well at all...but he was right. I don't know how people do it. I fully acknowledge that I don't have that much going on and yet I feel tired a lot more than I think I should. I exercise, I eat pretty well, I get enough hours of sleep (James is doing a good job of sleeping through the night these days), I have nice kids (I don't feel exhausted caring for them)...and yet I am tired. I don't know how people do it when they have 6 six kids who are older all with different schedules. I always wanted to have a lot of kids, but I have two babies with no schedule and I sometimes feel overwhelmed. I don't want to spend the next 20 plus years feeling that way. I am excited that we get to go to Phoenix tomorrow and hopefully get a little relaxation time in. Maybe I will feel rejuvenated after some swimming and sunshine!

happy birthday ty

Today is Ty's birthday. The big 30. To celebrate, last Saturday Thatcher unveiled (in a manner very much resembling Vanna White) his dad's birthday present from behind a blanket. Even though it was almost a week early, I had bought it earlier in the week and I have to give myself credit for waiting as long as I did. Once I have a gift for Ty I get so excited that I spill the beans right away. This tendency has resulted in a number of anticlimactic birthdays, Christmases, and other holidays. So even though I wasn't able to wait until the actual day, I did wait a few days for a perfect moment. And perfect moment it was. Thatcher and Ty spent a good part of the day putting the seat on Ty's bike (Thatcher tried to attach it to his bike, but it didn't turn out so well much to his frustration), and riding around the neighborhoods (even off-roading a little, which I am not so sure about).



Today the celebrations continued with sleeping in till 6:30 (that didn't really work out, but I tried), breakfast in bed (honey-nut cheerios, blueberries, donuts, and orange juice), and more presents from me (fruit snacks, licorice, and snickers), and presents from his family (more licorice, more fruit snacks, a ton more food, socks, books, and toys). We played in bed with the boys for a while and then Ty headed off to work. We will see what the rest of the day and weekend holds!

I was excited for Ty's birthday because it gave me an excuse to hang this birthday sign I made a while ago. Thanks Natalie for the great idea!

my helper

Today as I was rushing to get both boys out the door to go to my gym class, I propped James up on the couch and handed him a rattle to keep him happy. He is just starting to get to the age where he seems to enjoy having toys around him (or anything he can grab and stick in his mouth). After I handed James the rattle, I ran to the bathroom. When I came back I found James still holding the rattle, but with the addition of a rattle on each leg. It was a pretty funny sight. Thatcher had watched me find a rattle from the toy box and found two more, then found places to put them on James. Thatcher is such a sweet big brother and so good at watching our examples and at trying to help and James is a good sport. I love my boys.

smelling like Marge

I really like the ladies who work at the gym daycare (except for a new girl today who informed me that Thatcher was good except that he kept trying to climb on a box...yeah, he likes to climb and he is a sweetheart, not a big deal). Marge is an older lady who usually ends up with James. She is always rocking him and holding him if I come to pick him up and he is awake. It makes me happy that he is in good hands...except for the after-smell. For the rest of the day or at least the following few hours, James always smells like whoever has been holding him (usually that person is Marge). It bugs me in church when others have held him and it bugs me after the gym daycare. I want my baby to smell like James, my baby...not Marge.

Ty once told me that James smells like me and that made me happy. I love the way my baby smells and I love that he is mine. I won't stop going to the gym over it or stop letting people hold him, but it does make me want to start giving him baths every day after the gym.

happy memories

- I love the way James sucks his thumb...and everything else that gets in range of his grabby little hands (my hair, his bib, blankets, burp cloths, toys, Thatcher's arm, etc.)
- I love how excited Thatcher gets when my Activity Days girls are over. He goes crazy laughing, screaming, and interacting with bigger kids.
- I love Tickle Monster, and helping Thatcher wear the furry gloves and then helping him tickle James.
- I love it when Thatcher insists on saying 'hi' to his plant that we keep in the kitchen.
- I loved finding Thatcher behind the couch, stuffed in the bathroom garbage can that had tipped over. I was so tempted to run for the camera, but then decided that would be too mean.
- I love it when Thatcher does something I ask him to even thought it is not what he wants (yesterday it was to not play in the dirt at the gym and today it was to not play with the bathroom garbage can). You can see the inner turmoil going on inside and he usually chooses to be obedient. He is such a good kid.
- I love that James somehow managed to inch his way six feet across the floor yesterday. He can't roll and had not control over where he was going, but he did move...across the room!
- I love that I don't have to plan another Activity Days activity for a month and that the next one will NOT be at my house.
- I love watching my boys with their dad. They are quite the threesome and couldn't get any cuter.
- I love that I am going to put Thatcher to bed in approximately 6 minutes and then watch Dancing With the Stars...ahh relaxation.

in the potty

Tonight Thatcher pooped in the potty. Gross to see it typed on the blog, but a big event nonetheless. We are not quite sure if he got it. Ty rushed him to his little potty after he noticed some beginnings of something on his pants (Thatcher had been sitting on Ty's lap naked). After a lot of persuasion, there was a small sign of success. We gave Thatcher lots of praise and chocolate chips and hope there will be a next time soon.

cabin

Yesterday we went to the cabin and Thatcher was in heaven. Not only did he have a blast with Cooper, Elizabeth, and Crew...but he got to play outside, with cars, and with balls. I think that is what heaven is right now for Thatcher. We had a great time and love that the cabin is so close to us, especially when it means we get to spend more time with family.

The kids got to sit at their own table for dinner and they laughed more than they ate.

two boys in a crib

Tonight I put James in Thatcher's crib while we were getting Thatcher's pjs on and saying prayers. I knew James would like the soother and wanted to see how Thatcher would react (I have done it before and Thatcher hasn't been too thrilled with the idea of James in his bed). Thatcher didn't seem mad or jealous, but was definitely anxious to get in his crib. We laid him down next to James and both boys seemed very happy. I told Ty we should do a little experiment and see what Thatcher would do if we left James in there. I honestly didn't know what to expect. We told Thatcher that James was sleeping with him tonight and then we said goodnight and left. We watched the two of them on the baby monitor for probably five minutes and they were as happy as could be. Thatcher kissed James once and kept looking at him, but besides that he was perfectly still.

We decided to go in and get James after a while, but Thatcher was really sad when we did. He kept pointing at the empty spot where James had been, then pointed at James and said 'baby'. So....we decided to let James stay a little longer. This time James started to fuss after a few minutes. When he did, Thatcher tried to make him happy by having Elmo give James kisses. When Ty went in to get James, Thatcher was holding James's hand (does it get any cuter?). Thatcher was still not ready to let go of James and he stood up in his crib and grabbed at James while we were trying to say goodnight. Finally (thanks to Ty's brilliance) we took Thatcher with us into our room, put James in the bassinet, said goodnight to James and explained that James needed to sleep in his own bed. After that, Thatcher was fine with the situation and went right to bed.

I didn't know what to expect when we left James in Thatcher's crib, but I certainly didn't expect that. Thatcher has the sweetest heart and I am always amazed at how much he loves his brother. I love my boys. They are so special and so great for each other. I can't imagine my life and our little family without them.

all before 8am

-Thatcher woke up and we ate breakfast together
- My friend dropped little girl off early because of a hospital visit
- I tried to help sad little girl be happy (she really doesn't like being away from her parents)
- I changed James' diaper...watched him pee all over himself. He has never had that good of aim before, it was all over his face, poor kid.
- Thatcher had his diaper off for a minute to air out and ended up pooping all over the floor. And then stepping on it.
- I scrubbed the floor and put Thatcher in the tub.
- Then got back to distracting our sad little friend....all becore 8am.

This is the second day this week where I have looked at the clock hoping that it was close to noon so I could put the boys down for naps and instead it was sometime during the 7:00am hour. I do love being a mom, but it is exhausting. Especially when you feel like you have used a days worth of energy before the day has even begun.

new goal

James is so perfect. He is sweet and happy and so much fun to be with. But there is a problem. He is growing up way too fast and it makes me really sad. I had a hard time with Thatcher getting too big too fast and with James I feel like time has sped up even more. Each stage is going by more quickly and I just want time to stop. I know that is not going to happen. The only other option is to have another baby soon because babies are so great. But...this really isn't a good option. Our house is too small, our car is too small, and most importantly, my body hasn't had a break in almost three years. My body needs a break. So this is my new goal. Give my body a year. A year of not nursing and not being pregnant. A year to just be me. I feel like I need to write it down because having James approach 6 months is already getting me a little baby hungry. So it is official, we won't be having another for at least two years. I hope I can stick to this one (and I know Ty does too!).

wind

I-40 is closed because of the wind. Ty is 3+ hours away and will have to find another way home. It is 47 degrees and much too windy to go to the park. Sometimes I really don't like Flagstaff.

beautiful blond boys...

bathing! Aren't they cute?

After Cooper got out of the tub, Elizabeth got in. She had fun pretending the soap was sunscreen and rubbing it all over a very cooperative Thatcher. Notice how dirty the water is. Gross. And they had just been swimming all day. I have no idea how the water got that dirty.

Justification

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty."
- Deiter Uchtdorf

I love this quote. I am not a creative person, but I love to create things. I always enjoyed scrapbooking while growing up and I think it is my nature to like projects. Even small tasks would give me a sense of accomplishment, and I know this is scary but I have always loved organizing and reorganizing spaces. When something is better after I have done something to it, I feel good about myself.

Since I have become a stay at home mom I have gone a little overboard with my love of creating things. I am plenty busy with being a mom to my two boys, cooking, cleaning, laundry, exercising, and the other things I do on a daily basis. But...when I don't have something else that I am working towards I go a little crazy and have an uncontrollable urge to make something. Take yesterday for example. Yesterday was a busy day, but when I put Thatcher down for a nap, instead of showering, or working on the big dinner I was making for a friend, or relaxing...I got out the sewing machine to work on some flowers, I got out my scrapbooking things to work on a collage for the boys' bathroom, and I messed around with Adobe photoshop for an hour trying to make a little book for the boys to have at church. When Thatcher woke up the house was a disaster, I had barely begun three separate projects, and I still hadn't started dinner.

I don't know where the 'itch' comes from, but when it hits, I need to do something. I have had a lot of fun the last year trying to be creative and learning to do new things on a budget. I admit I have spent too much time on silly things, but President Uchtdorf has helped me feel justified because after all, it is one of the 'deepest yearnings of the human soul.'
Here is a sampling:

creative with cars

attitude

I need an attitude change. And I want to have one more like this little boy.

Craft club

I have been a part of a 'craft club' since last year. It has been fun to learn to do new things, but more than that, it has helped me make friends with some people I really like and have wanted to get to know for a while. I hosted May's craft night and it was fun. Here are some of the things I have made.

October: Halloween/Thanksgiving pillows and canvas with pictures

November: 1-hour aprons

December: pine cone wreaths

January: Menu boards (I did my own variation on this idea and added grocery lists and a calendar)

February: Jewelry

March: Bulletin boards

April: Happy Birthday sign

May: Cloth flowers

Random thoughts...

Oh shoot...That is what is said this morning as I was brushing my teeth and realized I was using Ty's toothbrush instead of mine. Thatcher was by my side brushing his teeth for the morning as well. Right after I said 'Oh shoot' Thatcher repeated the same phrase very clearly. I laughed out loud which provoked Thatcher to say it over and over again a number of times. I love that he is talking more, and repeating a ton...I guess I am just going to have to be better about what I say in front of my boy.

Yesterday Thatcher cut his chin on a park bench, then an hour later split his lip on a different park bench (blood was everywhere and that ended our park trip for the day), then today when leaving the duck pond I slammed his fingers in the car door. It has been a rough couple days for the little Thatch-man. I am a little nervous to see what the rest of the summer holds.

I don't think a happier, smilier baby has ever lived than my baby James. Yesterday he laughed every time I hiccuped. I am the luckiest mom.

My kitchen is dirty my fridge is empty, I desperately need a shower, I have a load of clean laundry that needs to be folded sitting on the floor and another load that needs to be switched to the dryer, I have a huge list of random things that have been neglected all week because of Activity Days, craft night, our trip to Phoenix and life, and I have approximately 45 minutes until Thatcher is awake. And I am blogging. Sometimes it is easier to pretend life is relaxing and that I have time to do the things I want than face reality and be a productive mom.

James has been banned to the middle floor. It is time for my angel to sleep through the night and we have two weeks before a summer full of trips begins. So tonight he will be sleeping downstairs because hearing him cry when he is in our room is unbearable. I swear, 5 minutes of crying feels like 30. I hope it works.

Exhausted and overwhelmed....

I am one day behind in my write-every-day goal, but I will catch up. It is 10:31- way past my bed time- and I am beyond exhausted. I have a cold, I drove down to Phoenix this morning, got more sun than I have had since last summer, and had a great time with family...I am beat. But, I am also overwhelmed, with emotion. I feel like there have been a number of things that have happened recently that have reminded me how blessed I am, especially because of my angelic children that I have the opportunity of raising.
I watched a 'Mormon Message' today on Stephanie Nielson and was overcome (for probably the 10th time) thinking about her story. I have cried and spent so much time the last few weeks thinking about my friend Nicole's older brother who just lost a daughter to SIDS. The daughter was just a little bit older than James. A man called the Ridings multiple times today trying to get a hold of Jed in hopes that he could get some food. There is just so much sadness in this world and we are so blessed.
I am watching my angel sleep next to me as I typed this and it doesn't make sense to me why I have been so incredibly lucky. My sweet James and sweet Thatcher are my light. They are my life and I am so grateful for them. I know I need to live a better life and do more to be worthy of the great blessing they are to me. I'm sure going to try.

7 years ago...

I graduated from BYU, gave my farewell talk, turned 21, went to California with my boyfriend to say goodbye to my dad, packed my things, and left on my mission...all in three weeks. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but other times it seems like it couldn't have been my life. Those were a crazy three weeks. It is funny to think that tomorrow is about as busy a day as I will ever have...gym, play group, Activity Days, and friends over for craft night. I know I loved my life 7 years ago and leaving on a mission was an incredible adventure, but I love my life so much more now.
I am so grateful that I have Babywise, and Love and Logic on my nightstand instead of the missionary discussions and a French dictionary. I am so grateful I have spitup on my shirt and stretch marks on my belly instead of perfectly cleaned and ironed clothes and an hour of gm time every day. And I wouldn't trade cuddle time with my James or watching Thatcher play with his cars for anything. I loved my BYU years and I am so glad I got to serve the Lord for 18 months, but there is nothing like being a mom. I love it!

Really?

Today is May 2nd. There a few things that have frustrated me when thinking about the fact that it is May...

#1
It is snowing! Freezing cold and snow is what we were met with when we came out of church this morning (yes, we had sacrament meeting that started at 7am and then we got to leave after the one hour...kind of nice that we have the whole day, but kind of not nice that we are tired, cold, and with nothing to do all day because it is Sunday). SNOWING! On May 2nd. I am so ready for warmer weather.

#2
My weight loss, or lack thereof. I gave myself a full two months to heal after having James. I went on walks, but didn't do much else to exercise and ate whatever I wanted. Then, in March I knew it was time to jump into exercising again. James was old enough to take to the day care gym, and for the past two months I have been very consistent in going. I love it. It makes me happier throughout the day, it makes me feel good that I accomplished that one thing, my kids are well taken care of and it gives me a break. Those are reasons enough to want to go, but the main reason I go is so that I can get my body back. And...after two months of exercising, I weigh the same that I did one week after James was born (and two pounds more than I did 10 days after his birth). What? I am nursing, exercising at least 3 times a week, and eating pretty ok (I do admit that I love my desserts, but we have a pretty healthy lifestyle with little carbs, whole grains, fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy). I am just frustrated. I thought that after losing the bulk of my pregnancy weight so crazy fast, getting to my ideal weight would be pretty easy, especially if I was consistently exercising. So...bummer for me. It looks like I am going to have to change my diet a little more and stop baking so many tasty treats (after Tuesday because I am making 3 different desserts for my craft night and my Activity Days activity). I have less than 4 weeks till we are in California and 5 weeks till my family gets here. I hope I can be more motivated and that I will start to see some results, it's about time! Wish me luck!

#3
I can't believe my baby James is really this old. Where did January and February and March and April go? He is getting so big so fast and I feel like I am missing things. I haven't taken nearly as many pictures as I should have and I don't have as much video either. I need time to slow down or just stop all together so I can be with my baby the way he is for longer.

Today has left me feeling a little melancholy...it is cold, time is going by too fast, and I have to put in a lot more work to see the results I want...but I am happy and excited about the motivation that a new month, and hopefully warmer weather, will bring.

Catching up...

I have been excited about my new desire to write every day about different things, but before I do that, there are few things I have wanted to record about my boys that I am worried I will forget if I don't write them down soon.
THATCHER:
-Lately, as I have previously mentioned, Thatcher is obsessed with cars, all cars. He rarely gets out the rest of his toys, and will play with his cars for hours. He lines them up, crashes them, flies them around, drives them, slides them down the slide...whatever he comes up with, as long as it involves his cars, he is happy.
- New words. Thatcher is repeating so many words and actually saying a lot on his own as well. He will say mom, dad, baby, uh-oh, Jesus, water (wa-wa), Thatcher, tractor, cheese, duck, truck, eat, bye, hi, no, yes, snow, go, car, bike, nana, pee, papa, pop, Kelly, eww, nany, keys, ok, outside, cool, and other words that I know I am forgetting. I feel like his desire to speak has increased a ton in the past month. He is also continuing to sign and is getting better at being polite. He will sign (and try to say) please, thank you, and sorry when we encourage him.
- Thatcher is the best at making friends. Whether we are at the library, the doctor's office, the park, or nursery, he is always going up to other kids and trying to make friends. He loves to give them hugs, smile, play ball, and is just hilarious to watch. I love having a friendly little boy and hope that continues throughout his life.
- Thatcher loves to imitate. It is great when he imitates the sounds of words, and it is so funny when he does everything else. When James is crying, Thatcher does his fake cry. When I yell upstairs for Ty to do something, Thatcher yells with me. He loves to help cook in the kitchen and work on bikes and cars with his dad. He is also really good at 'popping a wheely' on his tricylce like his dad does on his bike. He is super helpful all the time and so funny.
- We love being outside! Thatcher has always loved being outside and that continues to be the case. He loves exploring in the dirt outside our house collecting rocks and throwing them down pipes, he LOVES riding his bike, he loves playing on playgrounds and just running. He is such a little boy and so much fun.
-Story time. We have loved going to story time the last couple months. Thatcher is very interactive and is so good at doing all the hand motions. He gets super excited and understands everything the sweet lady who does story time tells the kids to do. My favorite day was when we did the Hokey Pokey. Thatcher was doing all the motions perfectly by himself, laughing, and dancing around. I love being his mom.
- Helmet. Before the whole Cars obsession began, Thatcher was obsessed with his bike and so we got him a helmet that happened to be a Lightning McQueen helmet. He wore this helmet everywhere. In the store, around the house, while eating, in the car, on stroller rides to the park, everywhere. He still loves it and thinks he is pretty cool while wearing it, but now he is pretty good about wearing it only while riding bikes outside.
- Best brother. Thatcher continues to be so great with James. He is loving, he shares his toys and listens to me when I explain that something is for James or that James is sleeping so we need to be quiet. He is the best.
- Stairs. Thatcher has become a master stair climber. He is very good at walking up them by himself and is getting better at going down. He practices a lot and has taken a few falls (when I haven't been aware of the fact that he was practicing). He is a daring little kid and is pretty persistent when he wants to learn how to do something.

JAMES:
- Laughing. James has been laughing for a while now, but he does it all the time. He is a very happy baby and laughs, smiles, and coos, every time someone looks at him.
- James has started to really notice Thatcher and he loves his older brother. He recognizes his voice and smiles when Thatcher is in the room. James is such a good sport when Thatcher drives cars up and down his body and when Thatcher lays on top of him to give him hugs. I love seeing the two of them together. They are going to be the best buds.
- James is chunky and so cute because of it. When I hold him I get worried that I squeeze him too hard because he is so much fun to hold. I am not used to the rolls that James had because Thatcher was always so skinny. He is cuddliest, sweetest little angel.
- Dermatologist. About a month ago I took James to the dermatologist so his birthmark on him bum could get looked at. The doctor seemed to not be too worried which was a relief. She measured it, took a picture, and said she will meet with us regularly for a while just to track its changes. I am so relieved she is not worried about my perfect little boy. The birthmark has gotten quite a bit lighter and smaller since his birth. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming years.
- I have just started feeding James rice cereal. Though I think he ends up spitting more out than he gets out, and though he seems more interested in eating his bib than the cereal...he is doing a pretty good job. I can't believe he is already old enough to be at this point, but I love every minute of it.
- James still loves bath time and is the cutest little bather. He just sits in the water, kicks, laughs, and watches Thatcher play. It is my favorite time of day!

We went to Salt Lake for Easter and the week before. I drove up with my friend Michelle, her little girl, and my two boys. It was an adventure that we were nervous about, but it went really well. The kids all did great and the drive went by pretty fast. That week in Salt Lake was a lot of fun. My mom took us to Jungle Jim's where Thatcher was in heaven riding around on all the toys. We spent the rest of the week just hanging out. I saw a few friends and we had a fun time celebrating Easter with the Martins and with my family. I love our time in Salt Lake and it is always hard to say goodbye. I am starting to look forward to our next trip though! Just 6 weeks to go (I think).