Three week trip - [week 1: Utah]

The kids and I left early Monday morning, the day after Remmy's blessing, and drove to Utah.  My friend Alison drove with me and was so helpful with the kids and kept me company on the long drive.  The kids did great in the car and we made good timing.  I dropped Alison off in American Fork and the rain hit us HARD.  It was a slow drive the rest of the way, but we made it safely.

Mike and his fiance Mandy and her girls came to my parents house that night.  It was fun to meet my new sister-in-law and nieces for the first time.  They fit right in perfectly with our family and we love them so much!  Can't wait for the wedding.

Alyssa and Remmy - these two share a birthday!

Brooklyn, Jake, and Zoey

My mom, the kids, and I met Misty and her kids at the play area at the City Creek Center.  A sort of funny story: I was telling Misty how nice it was that Jake was a little older now and didn't run out of the play areas anymore.  My mom soon asked me where Jake was and I had just seen him close to a bird and pointed in that direction.  She went over there and said he isn't here.  I quickly looked around the rest of the play area and my mom went out of the play area and started looking for him.  Thankfully she saw his shirt just before he turned the corner to head up the stairs to the second floor.  Naughty boy!  I ran and caught him and he wasn't one bit worried about where he was or what he was doing.

cute Max - I told him to smile and this is what I got :)

Sophia and Brooklyn

Max and Jake

We spent time at the Bowen's house.  My kids LOVE their cousins.  And I love that they love them so much.  Brooklyn is obsessed with Hannah and always in heaven when they are together.  This was a perfect Utah summer night and the kids had fun jumping on the trampoline.

I have definitely missed runs in the canyon since moving to Arizona.  I got in as many runs as I could while I was in town.  I snapped a few pictures one morning - so quiet and a little chilly.

I met some friends at the City Creek Center another morning and let the kids play while I sat and visited.  We ate lunch at Chick-fil-A.

We spent lots of time playing outside since we haven't done that in Arizona in months!  The kids had fun with cousin Sophia in my parents backyard.  Rich and Misty recently bought a trampoline so that was fun for them too.

I watched Max and Sophia one night and we played outside most of the time. 

 

Have you ever seen a dirtier look given by a 2 year old?!!  This picture cracks me up.  All my kids can give a mean dirty look (I say it's the Mortensen scowl :)).  Real mean.  And within a second can change it to the biggest smile.  I'm sure Jake has offended several people with this look.

Aunt Mandy reading books before bed.

Saturday morning the kids and I went and saw Meg's new house in Tooele and played with Lucy and Nora.  I love that we have kids the same ages.  It was fun to see Meg's house and sit and visit while the kids played. 

Jake and Nora

Brooklyn and Lucy - smartest 3-year olds I have ever known

Sophia loved holding "baby Remmy" and was really sweet with her.

Remmy pooped all over my mom.  Look at that belly!

Remmy and Annie

after church nap on Sunday

We got tickets to the Bee's game one night and met the Bowen's, Rich and Sophia, Mike and the girls, and Meg and her girls there.  It was a fun night - I probably only saw 3 pitches of the whole game, but still good to be with everyone.

Remmy's blessing

Remmy was blessed in the same dress as Brooklyn (and cousin Hailey too).  It is simple and I love it.  We took a few pictures outside before the meeting started, thankfully because it was already starting to get hot. 

Remmy with her Grandma's

John gave Remmy a wonderful blessing.  It was short and sweet.  I had my friend write down what she could for me:

Remmy we give you a blessing to follow your Heavenly Father and to be like your Savior Jesus Christ.
We bless you to have a great sense of humor.  (this made me smile)
We bless you to gain a special relationship with your mother and siblings.
We bless you to find a man to get married in the temple.
We bless you to be an example to all those you come in contact with.
 

After sacrament meeting we had close friends and my cousin Camille and Vinnie over to our house for brunch.  It was too hot to be outside in our backyard and I was worried it would be too crowded, but it worked out.  It was so fun to have my parents there for the blessing, the first of my children they have seen be blessed.

Remmy's blessing weekend

My family (Dad, Mom, Jeannette, and Hailey) flew in to Phoenix Thursday night, July 31st.  They rented a car and got to our house around 7 o'clock.  The kids were so excited to see them and I was excited to show Jeannette my house. We had such a fun weekend and I was so grateful for all their help getting things ready for Remmy's blessing, letting me pack for our big trip, and cleaning my house.

Remmy got to meet Grandpa Sorenson, Jeannette, and Grandpa Marc and Grandma Betty for the first time.

My mom loves having her hair combed/done and always let me do it as a little girl.  It is fun to see now Brooklyn loving to do it too.  

Friday morning we went to the music class at the school and then the grocery store.

 Hailey doing play-doh.

 The girls were wiped out from playing and both fell asleep on the couch. 

They also had fun dancing and dressing up.  Hailey was so cute and copied Brooklyn every move...and Brooklyn was loving that.

(Jake...cracks me up!)

melty beads in their princess dress-ups 

Remmy and Jeannette

Saturday afternoon we went swimming (except my mom and dad who stayed home with Remmy).  It felt good to get in the water.  Plus we were the only ones in the pool, so that was nice!

We went home and changed and headed to Red Robin for dinner....yummm!

(random picture - it rained at one point over the weekend and the kids ran out to play in it before baths)