.Utah, Part 2: Kamas and 4 Generations

We have so many people to see in Utah, most importantly we wanted to visit all of my siblings at their houses like we usually do. Luckily my brother Seth’s house is pretty close to the cabin, so we stopped there for a night and made it to my nephew Jared’s deacon ordination on Sunday.

↓↓↓Here he is with his family↓↓↓

↓↓↓And here we are eating Sunday lunch (thanks Linda!)↓↓↓

We looooove Seth’s family and wish we could have stayed at their house longer. My niece Mia was especially great with Ames. She followed him around and just made him the happiest boy in the world. 

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Sunday evening we booked it over to my Ellis Grandparent’s house in Sandy to introduce them to Ames before they left town.

↓↓↓We posed for the required 4-Generation photo↓↓↓

↓↓↓Ames ran around↓↓↓

↓↓↓And he really seemed to like his Great-Grandparents! Grandpa Ellis is his only living Great-Grandpa too↓↓↓

↓↓↓How could you not love my wonderful Grandparents?↓↓↓

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It may seem weird, but one of the most exciting things for me about this trip was finally seeing Ames in my parent’s home. The home where I grew up. It really filled my heart to have him there, and he was in HEAVEN in my Mom’s playroom and running around with her tending kids every day.

↓↓↓And now, the most excellent point of this post is this bath time picture↓↓↓

↓↓↓Me on the left and my sister Elisa on the right. In the same tub↓↓↓

↓↓↓Also, do you recognize this shirt pull thing Ames is doing?↓↓↓

↓↓↓I have a few famous pics of his daddy doing it too↓↓↓

Here we are, all connected to each other. I love my family.

…more to come!

.Utah, Part 1: At the Cabin

While I was packing for our trip earlier this month I was already dreading coming home from vacation. I knew I would hate letting it end… and here I am now, home from vacation three days and in complete denial that it’s over. Air’s back to work and stress is slowly creeping back in to our bright lives. Our sun-kissed skin is peeling and fading. Our luggage is slowly creeping back into our closets and drawers. I’m gonna have to admit that we’re home eventually.

I guess I should just be grateful that we got to go in the first place after a horrific scare with Aaron’s passport being expired since last February! We were already on the road when I read the date on it, my heart stopped beating right then. We rushed home and called the border, and were assured that “a recently expired passport is not an issue at a land border crossing”. My heart started beating again. What a miracle!

We met up with my family at the cabin in the Uinta Mountains on Friday afternoon. Everyone was just thrilled to meet Ames for the first time, and Ames did exceptionally well when surrounded by a crowd of his cousins. He really seemed to love it.

↓↓↓Everyone who came (only missing Megan’s family and most of Heather’s family)

↓↓↓Ames with my sister Gwen↓↓↓

↓↓↓So many awesome cousins to meet↓↓↓

   

↓↓↓Ames’ youngest cousin, Alex. These are our “babies” now↓↓↓

↓↓↓We celebrated Ames’ birthday again. Lots more presents (thanks everyone!)↓↓↓

↓↓↓Air gave out rides to all the children on the “side-by-side”↓↓↓

↓↓↓Finally it was my turn! (adults don’t need helmets. what?) I photographed the whole thing↓↓↓

  

↓↓↓My favorite old stream is all dried up this year?↓↓↓

↓↓↓Everyone talked and played games into the night. We just love being together↓↓↓

  

↓↓↓The next morning some brothers and kids went fishing, while the rest of us went for a walk↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Ames fell in love with his Uncle Jordan, and Jordan fell in love with Ames↓↓↓

↓↓↓We got to the frog pond where we went frog hunting as children. So many memories here↓↓↓

↓↓↓Jordan took the children out and showed them the ropes. They caught several little frogs↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Us, at the frog pond↓↓↓

↓↓↓Amesy with the coveted stick (which caused much drama among the children)↓↓↓

↓↓↓We took the quad out for a family ride↓↓↓

 

↓↓↓Then my boys took a nice nap in the cabin↓↓↓

↓↓↓The men got home from fishing with some lunch. haha↓↓↓

After lunch we left to my brother Seth’s house in Kamas! This was a very fun way to start an awesome trip. Thanks for all the fun, family! And thanks to my Dad for letting me steal many of these photos.

…more to come!

.twelfth month + a birthday party

My tiny baby has turned into a man. I mean toddler. I can hardly remember those days when he was so little that his whole body could fit on my lap while I nursed him... He's so tall and strong now it's incredible.

This month Ames has become a pro walker. He can bend down and pick things up, walk up and down inclines, step over obstacles... basically running even. He also tried his legs at jumping once or twice... so cute. He still has to pull himself up onto something tall to get off the floor, but soon he'll figure out how to do it alone.

He says words. Lots and lots of them... if he's in the right mood he'll repeat just about any sound back to us. It is seriously the best thing ever. Some recent ones: “ticka-ticka-ticka” “pi-ty”(pretty) “shoos”(shoes) “ba”(bath or ball) “oh wow” “coo”(cool) “bah”(he always hits his head while saying bonk, he thinks its hilarious).

Ames eats lots. He'll eat anything I give him, even if he doesn't care for it he'll still open his mouth for a bite. Not looking forward to when he realizes he doesn't have to do that. I'm still nursing him 2-3 times a day--we both love nursing.

Air and I so enjoy Ames. On his birthday I couldn't help but feel emotional thinking of the past year we've had with him and the great love that has entered our family. It rained on the day he was born and it rained again on his first birthday... it brought back the emotional memories to my heart of the day we met him. We love to be around our baby and can't imagine life without him. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. I am so very grateful for this little family of ours.

↓↓↓I made two cakes. One for Ames to smash and one for everyone else↓↓↓

↓↓↓Aaron makes the BEST lasagna↓↓↓

↓↓↓I made the birthday boy this little felt crown↓↓↓

↓↓↓a long (semi-boring) video of present opening↓↓↓

↓↓↓he got spoiled↓↓↓

↓↓↓he wasn’t a big fan of the mess↓↓↓

↓↓↓once frosting got in his eyes we took him straight to the bath and blew his new bubbles↓↓↓

We had a wonderful day! Thank you to everyone for the gifts! Grandma McDonald, Air’s parents, my parents, Comaniuks, Hatches, Ruebushes, and all the Learys. We love you all!

We made it to Utah and have been enjoying our vacation so far!