We loved our week in Cedar City! I always just soak that place up. It is such a great little town.
Our days were full of games with Jenny and her kids, playing at South Elementary playground, eating Dunford donuts and enchiladas at Brody's, late night malts made by my dad, Scrabble with my parents, Grandpa throwing grounders to Westin, Bennett swinging in the backyard, awesome naps and nights (that's what happens when you can put both your kids in separate rooms with no windows!), temple trip with my mom, movie date with my dad (once we found the right movie... :)), March Madness games, meeting up with Becca and her boys, getting my hair done, parks with grandma, library story time, and just enjoying a slow week with grandma and grandpa. I LOVE Cedar City time.
Michael missed us! That's the longest we've ever left him. But I asked him if he felt like he was home without us a lot and he said, "Not at all." Trauma is the time to get out of town! We drove home Friday and the trip was pretty quick and smooth. I let Westin watch two movies and we played at Chick Fil A in Bakersfield for over an hour. Westin was crying almost the whole trip about his ear hurting so I thought he had an ear infection, but it must have been an elevation thing because he was fine after sleeping that night. I unpacked all the way right when we got home, that is one of the biggest differences between Mom Maddie and pre-motherhood Maddie. I just need so much more control over my space with motherhood or else it feels like things go real crazy, real fast.
On Saturday Westin started T-ball! It was adorable and his best friend in our ward is on his team as well. I had the distinct impression at his first game that this was the beginning of a biiiig part of my life -- boys and games! It's going to be fun.
Bennett ran and ran at Park Discovery. Westin told me it was too big and that he was lonely without cousins. :)
Bennett was so content in the tree swing while Westy got his T-ball practice going.
Grounders with Grandpa
Bennett is so happy on a swing!
Mommy and Me swin, Westin thought this was so funny
Becca's boys and my boys... we almost have six between us! So crazy to me.
Jaren and my dad did baptisms. I can't believe he's getting so old!
We went to lots of different parks with grandma. They loved this little merry go round.
Bennett has no patience for the small playgrounds, he's all about the big kid stuff.
All the grandkids out for Mexican food
Bennett is saying cheese, I'll give him that
Bennett was Jaren's shadow and he just loved trying to chat it up with his oldest Miner cousin
Always by Jaren :)
The two little ones with grandma
Just sitting and watching Bennett eat an ice cream cone is one of my biggest joys
We don't usually get ice cream there but when you drive 8.5 hours with a hurting ear, we get ice cream.
First t-ball game! Blue shirt on third base
Westin and Colt
Mr. T likes to come up to Michael because he knows he'll probably get a slug or two out of it.
One of my latest cross stitches
Whenever Bennett is quiet, this is where I find him.
made it to Cedar City with a pretty smooth drive, one quick gas stop and one stop at Shake Shack in Vegas. Westin gets so sick in the car so he has lots of "Are we in Cedar City yet?" questions, and Bennett looks at Chatbooks the whole time. They were so happy to see some snow still left in Grandma and Grandpa's yard and proceeded to have the most meager snowball fight, which was the best one they've had in their memory.
Monday:
Cedar day! We took the boys to Walmart Hill (Walmart isn't even there anymore but that's what it was growing up) to go sledding. There was barely any snow but I've been sledding on that hill hundreds of times and I wanted to take them. They thought it was SO fun! Especially Westin, he went more than anyone and was in heaven. During nap time Ali and I set up our old school Nintendo and played Klax and it was so fun. Then we all ate dinner at Brody's which is always a favorite! And after the boys were down Ali and I ran to the new Crumble Cookies in Cedar to get a few to taste test. This cookie fad, I am all in.
Tuesday:
We woke up, packed up, and drove up to Murray to Ali's house. Logan and Jenny came over to hang out and we had breakfast for dinner all together. Ali's neighbors texted her to have all the kids at her house come play on their trampoline and see their dogs, so the kids loved that. Bennett has no fear of dogs, and I think Michael's trauma rotation has made him wonder about that... he's seem some sad stuff with kids and dogs. Luckily we're only ever around nice dogs, but I hope he has some discretion in life. The boys were exhausted and didn't sleep super well because of it, but Ali is the best aunt and got up with them both in the night during the whole week if they ever cried. She's so nice to us.
Wednesday:
Ali watched my boys while I worked on a project with my friend Kindal. We've been working on a book for months and it was SO fun to finally be together in person and get a lot done. We met with our printer and figured out some more details, and mapped out our final illustrations. It's going to take the rest of the year to make, but it's coming together more all the time and we are so stoked about it. Ali took my boys to a lego place and then to free cone day at DQ. Then we all had some down time and watched some of the Jazz game. My aunt Tanya came over and I was able to meet her cute little Gracie for the first time, my youngest cousin! She's such a doll.
Thursday:
I met my friend Jamie for breakfast and our kids had fun playing, until her sweet little girl chipped her tooth. That has happened to so many friends' kids lately! Poor thing. From there we drove to Lehi for the day to play with Jenny and the kids. We took them to the Butterfly Emporium at Thanksgiving Point and they had fun playing on the playground there for a while. Then we got ice cream cones for everyone and went back to their place for games and dinner. That night we drove back up to Ali's house and played a fun game that Matthias found where everyone uses their phones to play different types of games on the TV together. We laughed a lot and it was so fun to spend time with each other.
Friday:
The boys got their first taste of Toy Story, which they loved, then we went to a fun park by Ali's house. After some down time we all went to an early dinner together at Bandit's, which was delicious. And then FINALLY to Chip Cookies which I've been dying to try forever! I liked them so much more than Crumble. Utah has so much cookie trend happening and I'm jealous. I've always known chocolate chip cookies are the one true dessert, so glad people are catching on. That night we played that phone game again and it was so funny.
Saturday:
Woke up, packed up, drove to Lehi to meet Logan for breakfast. He's working nights right now so he had just gotten off work and we had some french toast at Kneader's and had fun seeing him before we headed back down south. Jenny and the kids were already in Cedar for the next week so we'll be able to see them more once we're back down there.
Sunday:
Stake conference with my parents, games and dinner with Jenny and the kiddos.
Michael:
Took his yearly test on Saturday so he at least didn't have to go into the hospital, but I don't know if a 4-hour test is the best way to get a "day off". We've been Facetiming him when he's home and the boys love to check in on him and Kitty. We miss him! But we're feeling good about taking a solo vacation during this trauma rotation. He has so many sad or crazy or crazy sad stories from patient situations right now. He keeps saying how grateful he is that he's not doing this type of thing for 5 years plus a fellowship after. Four years of oral surgery is the right fit for him.
We miss him! We'll eat a cookie for him... :)
I know it's not optimal snow conditions... but we had to fit this in before it all melted!
I don't even really have winter stuff for my kids, we found all the random warm things we could when we packed for the trip. California boys.
Bennett assumed this position for the entirety of cousin trampoline time.
Sweet Gracie! Already 5 months. So happy for Tanya and Dan, she's a doll.
Baking with Ali! We made healthy scotcharoo's, with no sugar (except a few chocolate chips) and added protein. They were actually really good! Westin loves talking about what food is good for you or not healthy for you right now. And he LOVES talking about what foods people do and don't like.
Thanksgiving Point
All the Miner grandkids! That Butterfly Emporium was hot and humid, took me back to Indy for a second.
They were done with their kiddie cones before Jenny and I got our ice cream, so they surrounded our sundae and shake right after this haha.
Bennett won't hold hands in parking lots right now, Westin went through the exact phase. So, Lydia took the situation into her own hands. Literally.
Let's just talk about Ali's hair for a second. I got a new blowdryer/brush thing and it is AWESOME, but even more awesome on Ali's hair. I was just staring at it all day.
I crouched down to be by my boys for this picture so then Bennett crouched down too and wouldn't get up. :)
Girls: Chocolate Chip Boys: Mint Oreo
We gave them each half a cookie and that sugar rush was whoa.
Saying goodbye to the truck! Oh how we've loved this little truck. It was so good to us. I'm glad it's staying within family. I loved that Michael could drive his grandpa's truck all through dental school and most of residency. Now Ali and Matthias are going to give it a good home.
