Utah Trip and Brady's Blessing

Dear Kate and Riley,

The fun just never stops around here. We decided before Brady was even born that we'd all drive out to Utah in May when Aunt Jenny was graduating with her Master's degree and bless Brady. We knew that two other cousins would be born by then and thought it would be a good chance for most of both families to get to be there for Brady's blessing and for our family to be around for the two other cousins' blessings.

Once Brady was here I started wondering what I was thinking committing to drive all the way to Utah for just two days of being able to visit and then turn around and drive back. We had actually never made the trip with Zach in the car and I wasn't looking forward to it. We left Thurs. afternoon, stopped in St. George to sleep (Zach was a little too wired and excited to sleep) and drove the rest of the way Friday.

On Friday we got to see my Hansen Grandparents and my parents and then see most of Dad's family that night.

Great Grandma's backyard was being re-done and there was an excavator out back (don't try to call that a tractor, Zach will correct you!) it was a 2 year old boy's dream come true!

Saturday we got everyone together at Uncle Andrew's house and blessed Brady and Drew at their church. We came back to Andrew's house and had dinner with most of Dad's family, all of my family minus Uncle Bret and a lot of Aunt Stacy's family too! It was a crowd but so fun to be surrounded by so much family.

Not ONE picture without Zach sticking out his tongue

Great Grandma Wiggins, Grandma Janice, mom and Brady

Hansens and Wiggins. I wish we would have done this w/ O'Farrells too but we didn't get to

Proud Grandpas, Papa Frank and Papa Ross

Drew and Brady (I want to admit that I typed Zach first! oops!)

Brady smiling for Aunt Jenny

On Sunday we went to Uncle Clint's ward where they blessed baby Cadence. Then we hung out at their house for breakfast and went back for Mother's day dinner. We got to talk to Uncle Bret which was SO much fun to do with everyone together. It was also really nice to spend Mother's day with my own mom since I haven't done that in a long time. Zach had SO much fun playing with all of his cousins he got to sleep in Skylar's room which almost made me sad he was such a big boy and he loved that two different cousins' houses have trampolines so he got in plenty of jumping time.

Trampoline fun

Grandma Janice, Papa Ross, Clint, Kelli and baby Cadence

Papa Ross, looking thrilled

Cousins! So much fun with Summer and Ali

Grandma Janice and Brady

Sunday night we just turned around and headed back to St. George and finished it off on Monday morning. Zach's vomiting episode aside the boys actually did pretty good in the car and even though I don't ever want to do a trip that short again it does make our trips this summer seem do-able.

This trip will always be remembered by me for all of Zachary's one-liners. He is quite the talker these days and is also very matter-of-fact about the world. Here are some of my favorite Zachary lines from the trip:

Uncle Clint: Zach what color is your hair? Zach: Spikey
Uncle Cint: Zach what color are your eyes? Zach: white (hey, he's right, right?)

Zach got his first bloody nose on the trip. Not because he got hit in the nose but because Utah is so dry and Zach has a nose-picking obsession right now.
Zach (covered in blood from a bloody nose) to Uncle Chris: I got red paint.

Zach (after projectile vomiting in the car): I spit up. Like Brady.
let's just say mom is glad that Brady does NOT spit up like that!

We had such a fun time and we're now counting down until July when we get to see everyone again (and drive to Utah TWO more times!)

Love,
Mom

3 months!

Dear Kate and Riley,
So I'm almost an entire month late with this one but I didn't want to just forget it.
How 3 months passed so quickly I'll never know. When I would talk to new moms after I had Zach I remember telling a lot of them to just hang in there for 3 months, because then everything gets better. The weeks leading up to Brady turning 3 months I started to wonder what I'd ever been talking about. But, sure enough, the week that he turned 3 months everything did get easier! Brady hasn't been a particularly hard baby but man the past few weeks he's been great. He's SO happy and smiley, he is such a laugher, Zach was harder to get a laugh out of, Brady will do it for just about anything. He is SO interested in the world around him and loves to be part of the action. He is definitely looking more and more like dad's side of the family but I do like to think he has a little bit of me in him. He looks a little like Zach but they do have their own looks. We just love him and even though Zach has a hard time admitting it, he's pretty fun to have around.

Current obsession: hands. He loves them, watches them, sucks on them, waves them around all day long

Love,
Mom

San Diego Zoo

Dear Kate and Riley,
I am SO behind! Life has been fun and crazy and there is so much to talk about. When tax season was finally over Dad took a day off work so we could all spend some family time together. We headed down to San Diego to one of my favorite places-- the zoo! It was a perfect day, nice and cool in the morning so the animals were all out. Uncle Adam and his family met us in the afternoon and saved us from what I'm sure would have been a meltdown from a very over tired Zachary. He was so excited about the zoo and his cousins he's still talking about it a month later.

this little guy was super happy

Zach LOVED "flying" the helicopter that was by the polar bear exhibit

Spring meant lots of baby animals, this little guy was very entertaining!

more babies!

We got passes and I can't wait to go back!

Love,
mom