Texas Trip and Grandparent Fun

A few days after Spring Break Utah we drove down to Denver and picked up grandma and grandpa from the airport. They were so nice to fly in and hang out with the big kids for a few days while we took Asher down to Texas for some meetings about Michael's practice. 

While down there we had two full days of meetings, but Asher was pretty good through them! One night we met up with Michael's friend Derek from high school and the other night we went to Emily's house for dinner and it made my heart so, so happy to catch up with her cute family.

Grandma and Grandpa were so nice to be with the big kids those days. They made an Estes Park trip and went on bike rides and the boys are just in heaven when they're around. 

On Sunday we blessed Asher, and those baby blessings are some of the sweetest memories of my life. He was blessed with a knowledge of the love that his earthly and Heavenly Parents have for him. He was blessed that that knowledge would be a strength and foundation for him throughout the trials he will face in his life. His brothers will be an example to him and in turn he'll be an example to them, and all those around him. He was blessed with a desire to do good and courage to do so when it's not easy, and with a desire to be a peacemaker in his home and in the world. He will have strength to overcome the trials that he'll face and he'll be a strength to those around him as they also endure trials. 

Asher boy, we are so grateful you are in our family. These months of having your sweet soul join our family have been just precious to me and will always be dear to my heart in the most real way.

Bennett is so sweet about making Asher happy when I'm getting things done.

Sweet napping boy.

Hardest part of the Texas trip was finding clothes that actually fit me right now... we are still very much in postpartum days. Camden helped me though, so that was nice.

How ridiculous is this.
Asher sleeps on this pillow on his side for all naps and nights still,
so this is literally my Texas bag. When we get home we are kicking this habit to the curb.

See? Had to bring it.
At least the hotel had a king bed and not a queen so we could all fit nicely for his last few nights in our bed :)

We had fun meeting up with Michael's high school friend Derek for dinner one night.

March Madness in the hotel at night with that cute Asher boy.

This is laying down in my memory as one of my happiest moments.
Nursing sweet Asher on a trip with some quality time with him and Michael (crazy how babies let you have conversations and don't give you any sass :)), watching March Madness, door dashed Shake Shack shakes to our hotel room, and all was well in the world.

Cutest tummy time guy. He likes it way more than my other kids but still isn't rolling around so we'll see if he's on the Daetwyler track of walking at maaaaaybe 18 months old ha.

Meeting Emily!!!
Oh man, we were so happy to meet up with the sweet Ryan family while we were in Dallas.
They were so nice to have us over.

Meeting Baby Banks made me so happy. And those darlin Ryan girls are getting big and I just love them so much!

Finally meeting each other's babies and reminiscing about roommate and neighbor days.
Forever friends are so good for the soul.

Took this pic to show Westin and Bennett even though I know it will make them sad to know they missed out on seeing their cute friends!
If we could have some Ryan girls match with some Daetwyler boys in the future I would be over the moon about it. I mean, we've got a lot of options.

We had to drive by their high school on our way back to our hotel.
Biggest in Texas! A Chick Fil A in the high school stadium.
Texas doesn't mess around.

This tag along was such a little joy on this trip.
Easy flights and good hotel sleep nights,
he was a dream.

A little pond walk before we headed to the airport.

We blessed Asher on Sunday and it was a sweet day!

Felt so lucky to be able to have a baby blessing with grandma and grandpa in town. They are the best.

Spring Break Utah

After our Estes Park weekend I looked at our empty Spring Break week ahead of us... I had gone back and forth about going to Utah over and over the last few weeks. I'd decide we needed to make it happen and then get overwhelmed by the drive with the boys, then get sad to not see family and then back to overwhelmed.

But after our weekend getaway, I felt like I could just do a load of laundry and put the bags back in the car, add in some snacks and download some podcasts, and we could just make it happen. Ali's house being 7.5 hours away feels pretty doable these days. And we needed to meet little Dallin!

So on Monday morning we packed back up and hit the road as quick as we could. Westin was such a huge help running this and that out to the car -- filling up water bottles, getting sleeping bags from downstairs, putting my purse in the car, putting snacks in their cupholders, loading up their pillows and blankets, on and on. He just kept coming back up to me and asking what could he do next -- the sweet kid is highly motivated by cousin time!

We made the drive on Monday with two stops, and Asher cried just a little while before each break. Little America is such a great stop with an easy nursing spot, a playground, cheap and yummy food, and easy on and off the freeway. Our other stop was a middle of the no where gas station where no one even went inside -- just nursed the baby while the boys all peed outside (except for the little one who still refuses to pee outside and has to use his own tiny potty... we gotta kick that habit this summer. Outside peeing is one of my boy mom perks that I demand we take full advantage of). 

Tuesday was a Zoo day with Ali and Logan's families, and my boys loved seeing animals and being with cousins! Wednesday we had a low key day to recover from all the driving and playing. On Thursday we all split up -- Camden had a day with Elise at Ali's, Westin and Bennett played with the Miner cousins all day, and Asher and I drove down to Cedar City to surprise my mom. Kindal was coming to her book club that day to talk about illustrating our book and then my parents were leaving to come up north and see us after that. But I drove Asher down and showed up to her Book Club as a surprise and it was really fun to catch my parents off guard like that :) Then Kindal drove back up north with me and we had 3 hours of catching up and planning and brainstorming and laughing. I always wish I had more time with her! She went up north for her brother's wedding that weekend so it was fun to combine our drive time.

Friday my parents came up and my Aunt Tanya and her family came over to Ali's as well, so we had a fun day being all together. I went to Costco with my mom and had fun seeing my book there for the first time. We stayed up late that night playing Code Names duet and I love being with my family.

The next day we made the drive home and it was smooth again! Asher did much better on the drive home.

First stop on the road trip! These kiddos really do great.

Meeting Dallin!
Made me so happy to finally hold him.

If only we could've hung out more during all the nursing hours of the last 3 months :)

I have pictures next to this lion water fountain from when I was little.
So fun to take my kiddos to the Hogle Zoo.

Ali has done such an amazing job managing NICU time and nursing ups and downs and toddler/baby weeks. She's so awesome.

Tummy time is better with a buddy.

Tummy time is best with lots of buddies.

When Ali described March Madness to Westin he said, "I can't believe no one has told me about this the last 7 years. I'm going to love this."

Colorado State all the way... loyal to Rams.

Holding Dallin through his nap while my babies napped and Ali took Westin and Bennett to shop for Leprechaun Trap supplies. One of the sweetest afternoons I've had in so long.

Manicures by Ali for all the little people.

Trapping a Leprechaun!

Westin was sleeping like this in his sleeping bag and it totally scared me when I walked by.

My kids watch shows with such posture until they're like four. I don't know why.

Loved their walk :)

Visited another store that has stocked "Savior" for quite a while.
So fun to see it for sale!
Kindal and I visited this store back during our weekend together when we were mapping out the text before sending "Savior" to print and imagined having it in there someday.

Seriously so fun to have these cuties together.

Pizza and cousins!

The Miner kids all saved their money and bought an Oculus together.
It was so fun to try!

The grandkids are wearing out these cute grandparents :)

Spotted in Costco!

Sweet boy.
So fun to have him facing forward in the car now.
He wants me to chase all the school buses and garbage trucks that we see.

The most pit stoppy pit stop ever.