Another Bonus Trip...Las Vegas

I got back from Pheonix on a Monday, Hyrum left for Las Vegas the next Wednesday. If there was a pattern to our trip so far it would be: travel, crazy catch up time, travel, crazy catch up time...you get the picture. While Hyrum was down in Vegas for his medical conference I got to spend some fun time with his sister Katrina who had traveled down from Portland to visit. We took all the kids to Toy Story 3 (LOVED it) and also took them swimming. It was great going to the pool with Katrina and her kids because her kids are all older than mine and so I basically didn't even need to put on my swim suit or get in the water, the boys just played with their cousins the whole time (LOVED it!!)

Because Oma and Katrina are wonderful women they offered to watch my 3 crazy kids so I could fly down to Vegas on Friday and drive back to Salt Lake with Hyrum on Saturday after his conference ended. Of course I took them up on this offer, so it was back to the airport for me.

I arrived in Vegas Friday evening and Hyrum and I grabbed a bite to eat and then hit the strip. I had been to Vegas one other time but only for a few hours stop on my way to Arizona. We spent about 3 hours walking up and then back down the strip. We walked through the Venetian and the Palazzo and saw the volcano erupt in front of the Mirage. We both agreed that the classiest hotel in Vegas is the Belagio. The lobby is spectacular and the fountain is a wonder. We both also agreed that whoever gets to choreograph that fountain to music must have a lot of fun.

Saturday morning Hyrum went to a few last seminars and I got a spa pedicure...nice:) Before leaving Vegas we stopped at a nature park and attempted to walk around. After about 15 minutes in 100 degree weather we decided to hit the road in our nice air conditioned car. Driving 6 hours can actually be a lot of fun if you don't have kids. You can talk, listen to music, listen to NPR. You don't have to stop for potty breaks, you can get ice cream sandwiches and eat them in the car because you know it won't make a huge mess! I love my hubby and I love the few times we get to spend just the two of us.

Bonus Trip to Arizona

The Friday after we landed in Salt Lake City, Julian and I departed on yet another airplane ride to Pheonix. My Grandma Merrill was turning 90 years old and there was a big party planned with all my Aunts, Uncles and cousins. It was so much fun seeing so many people that I have not seen in years. Some of my sisters had never even met Julian so it was really cool to be there with him. Of course they all told me he was beautiful and wonderful and a happy boy, which I already knew. I got to meet a new niece and catch up with my 6 sisters and hear about how life is treating them all. I love spending time with my sisters because it is so comfortable. I never have to worry about saying the wrong thing or doing something stupid (because we ALL do stupid things together, it's great!) We can laugh at things that absolutely no one else understands. The best part of this trip was that we all stayed in the same hotel so we got to spend the entire weekend eating, talking, swimming and playing together.

Julian and I enjoying the hotel swimming pool.

My mom, me and my Grandma Merrill (my mom's mom)

Me with my Grandma Myers (my dad's mom)

All of my sisters and my mom posing for a photo...I wish I had a girl!

Oh look, I finally got my wish!! Actually, Julian peed all over his pj's so my sister let me borrow her daughters pj's for a night. He DOES make a cute little girl though, doesn't he?

Going Back to Utah!

Well, we are back from our big 3 1/2 week trip to the States. I wasn't able to post while there so I'm going to be playing catch up the next few days. For those of you friends and family that I didn't get to catch up with this trip, we'll have to hang out next time. These whirlwind trips are the worst for trying to see and do everything in a short time...you know I love ya anyway:)

We left Nurenberg on June 15th. We stopped in Amsterdam and Detroit before finally making it to Salt Lake City. The boys did really well on the airplane. Julian slept for a few hours and the boys enjoyed watching movies and eating snacks. Overall it wasn't the miserable flight I was expecting it to be. Hyrum's sister Andrea and her husband Craig met us at the airport. There is nothing more wonderful than finishing a 20 hour marathon airplane trip with 3 kids who are all cranky and tired and having your own family there to meet you at the airport and take you right to your bed.

Our first few days in Utah consisted of hanging at home with Oma and Opa and trying to recover from jet lag. We walked around BYU campus and got some BYU creamery ice-cream. The boys all seemed to settle into life in Utah just fine. Julian loved exploring a new house and the boys loved playing with all of Oma's toys and taking Opa's ATV out for a ride.

3 boys, all tired out on our final flight from Detroit to Salt Lake City.

Walking around BYU campus.

Goodbye Germany

We are headed to the States for a few weeks. It will be so much fun catching up with friends and family and introducing Julian to America (and the wonders of Costco hotdogs). Sorry if my blog is neglected for a few weeks, I'll just have to see if I can post in Utah.

Wish me luck for that LOOOONG airplane ride with 3 kids!

Goodbye Miss Tammy

My good friend Tammy is heading off on an all expense paid trip to Afghanistan for a year. She has been such a great friend to me these past 18 months, especially stepping up and helping out during Hyrum's six month deployment. Julian would never sleep for me during church but all I had to do was pass him over to Tammy and she would have him sleeping in less than five minutes! The twins love Miss Tammy. She always jumps on the trampoline with them, she listens to their stories, she helps them understand why things are the way they are. She encourages them and helps them.

Until we see you again...Goodbye Goodbaudy

Memorial Day Weekend

We headed down to Southern Germany and a bit of Austria for our 4 day weekend. We were really hoping for nice weather because the Alps are so beautiful in that part of the country but alas, we got clouds and rain for the majority of our trip. There's always next time, right?

We took a ferry boat through a beautiful mountain valley to the small town of St. Batholomae on the Koenigsee. It was wonderful to get out of the car after 3 1/2 hours and see some of the most calm and serene landscapes I have ever seen. At one point on the ferry ride the driver stops the boat and blows a fluegelhorn and you can hear the echo bounce off all the mountains around you. The boys really loved that.

We walked around park of the Koenigsee. The water is so clear and beautiful.

Here we are on the ferry boat trying to keep 3 tired boys happy with lots of goldfish crackers!

Saturday we took the salt mine tour in Berchtesgaden. Everyone has to put on these nifty outfits before heading into the mine. There was a fun train ride into the mine and then 2 wooden slides (about 80 feet of pure FUN) and a boat ride across a "mirror" lake during the tour.

Almbachklamm gorge near Berchtesgaden. This was an amazing hike through a very narrow gorge with waterfalls and crystal clear pools of water to admire.

We left Berchtesgaden on Sunday and headed to Reutte. Along the way we stopped in Innsbruck, Austria. This is a photo of the famous golden roof in Innsbruck taken from the top of the city tower.

Tirolean history museum in Innsbruck. There were 3 floors of actual rooms taken from old houses and brought to this museum. We had a lot of fun looking at all the old furniture and beautiful woodwork in the ceilings and floors.

A garden near the Hofkirche in Innsbruck.

We have been in Germany for 18 months now and figured it was time to do the very touristy thing and visit Neuschwanstein castle. You can see the castle in the distance. It really is a fairy tale castle with all the glamor and architecture you would expect from a medieval castle (only it's not a medieval castle, it was built in 1876!)

Julian was a real trooper hanging out in the back pack for the tours. Here he is with Hyrum in front of the other "Kings Castle", Hohenschwangau.

Julian enjoys a break from the back pack while we wait for our tour of Hohenschwangau. The gardens were simply beautiful and the view from both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein were simply amazing.

Goodbye for now Southern Bavaria. We expect nicer weather next time we visit!

Some Exciting Firsts

We have hit some major milestones in the last few weeks. Here are just a few.

First ride on the bike without training wheels:
We finally got around to taking the training wheels off the boys bikes. We have been waiting for them to grow tall enough so that they could reach the ground with their feet if they were going to tip over. It was really amazing. Hyrum helped them out a few times pushing their bikes while he held onto the seats but then they just took off. They had no trouble at all with balance or steering. We were really proud of them.

Townsend getting ready to take off on his bike.

First cast:
OK, so the first bike ride without training wheels wasn't all perfect. Emerson was doing a great job but on his first trip down a small hill his chain came off his bike causing him to lose the ability to use brakes! He ran right into the side of a big metal dumpster. Thank goodness he was wearing his helmet!!! The x-ray showed a small crack in his arm bone, he will have this lovely cast on for about 2 weeks.

Emerson and his cast.

First haircut:
Julian's hair was getting a little too crazy, even for me. He has really straight, thin hair and so when it was long it would just get in his face and his eyes. Don't get me wrong, I loved the beautiful color and softness of his hair but at 15 months old I figured it was time for a cut. He sat really well for the first 5 minutes of the haircut. Then he sort of realized that something bad was happening and he burst into tears. I tried to console him with a lollipop but every time he opened his mouth to cry the lollipop would fall out and get covered in hair. After about 3 lollipops I stopped trying to get him to sit good and we ended up leaving the barber shop with a less than perfect cut...but at least his hair is out of his eyes:)

Poor little man Jules.