Chap's 1st Trip to Zion

For National Park Week Chap and I headed to Zion as a last minute sort of thing.  I'd been toying around with the idea all week but when I realized it was Friday I decided to go and within about 30 minutes we had a lunch packed and we were on the road.  The main reason for my procrastinating was that I was worried about using the trams with a stroller all alone. And although it was stressful at times, everyone was so nice and I got help at almost every stop.  That's something I love about National Parks is that everyone there is so happy to be there that they are kind and friendly.

The whole drive up I was just praying that this would be the peaceful, restorative trip I needed.  I've been a little off my game lately and I'm not sure why.  I've always felt a good feeling in Zion, it's a pretty special place.  And although this trip maybe wasn't all I was hoping for it taught me a couple of things.  The most important being that I'm a big girl and I can go places by myself. The other one being that I need to buy a hiking backpack to hold my kid before I ever go anywhere like this again:)

 Weeping Rock.  I totally forgot about the stairs at the top until I got there.  But some super nice old man helped me carry him up.

 I need to get Libby to teach me how to take better self-portraits ;)

 Having a snack in the wilderness.

 Chap making his squeaking balloon sound to entertain everyone at the tram stop.

All tuckered out for the drive home.

In closing I'm going to leave you with a funny story.  While waiting for the tram at Weeping Rock a lady about my mom's age was helping a really old lady to walk (presumably her mother).  The old lady was like, "Why do they leave all the dead trees just lying around?  It looks so bad.  Can't they get someone to clean them up?" to which the lady my mom's age replies, "These hippies think they're decorative!"  I love overhearing strange conversations.  It's one of my favorite things to do at restaurants too:)

Logan's Test/SLC/Lots of Pictures

We went to Salt Lake this past weekend so Logan could take his Professional Engineering test to get his license.  Chapter had been a little sick so I was a little worried it would be a nightmare but he did so well!  

 He rode alone just fine for about half the trip both directions.  Then the second half I rode in the back with him.

 

We stayed at the Hyatt at the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake City.  It was the perfect location for our purposes.  Logan could walk to take his test at the Salt Palace (and not have to pay for parking) and I could walk to the Gateway, Temple Square, and City Creek (and not kill us in a fiery car accident). This is what our room looked like (Picture stolen from the website).

 While Logan was testing from 7-5 Chapter had a marvelous time touring Temple Square for the first time.  He made a lot of new friends and was particularly in love with two Canadian sister missionaries at the Beehive House.

 I forgot a utensil to eat my cup of noodles with so I had to eat it with Chapter's spoon.

 Which was kind of sucky:)

 When Logan got back he was tired, but we still went out to eat and walked around.

 Our little jail bird slept really well in his hotel crib.  He didn't wake up once! Which is pretty much a once a month sort of situation. I think he was worn out by his 6+ hours of strolling that day.

On Saturday we walked in the freezing cold back down to City Creek so Logan could admire the planter boxes he inspected while working for a week in Salt Lake about 2 years ago.  I remember because I sent him a fake speeding ticket from Salt Lake for April Fools that year.  Then we toured the roof of the conference center because Logan and Chapter had never done it and we rode Trax 2 blocks back to the hotel parking lot (it was REALLY COLD).  Then we came home.  It was a fun trip.  I'd do it again (although hopefully we don't have to!)

Chap's First Easter!

This is us all dressed up for Easter Sunday.  We ran out of time taking one before church (since it's at 9am) but we took one after when most of my make-up was gone.  Haha, oh and what is it about pictures of people holding babies that makes them look fatter than they really are? 

 This is Chapter with most of his Easter loot:) In total he got money from Grandma and Grandpa Blake, a bucket and shovel, a stuffed animal, window clings, 2 hopping chicks, one cheeping chick and probably something else I don't remember from Grandma Marilyn, the cute plush barn filled with cute noisy animals and a bunch of clothes from Auntie Kristy and the kids, and a whole Easter package from Auntie Katie including a hopping chick, a sweet board book, some Easter decor, and a little package of Jelly Beans (I might be forgetting something).  The jelly beans were probably his favorite Easter gift of all.  He loves to hold the package to shake them up!

Then the Easter Bunny filled up this basket.  I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of him with the basket before he starting removing things:) He got a new Dr. Seuss board book, a sippy cup, a cute plush yellow bunny peep and some Mum Mums.  He HATED the Mum Mums, but apparently likes the book:)

It was a fun and busy weekend.  Sorry there are so many posts, it just makes it easier when I make a blog book at the end of the year to have a bunch of small ones vs. one huge one.

Art Festival

We went to the Art Festival this year and it wasn't as much fun as I remember it being the last time I went 2 years ago.  Maybe that's because there was only one place to buy snow cones and the line was a mile long so I didn't get one:( Anyway this is the only picture we took while we were there.  Chapter the cute little Sphinx:)

Robin Eggs

It was Logan's idea.  Seriously.

Easter Eggs

This year we dyed eggs in the traditional Santa Clara pioneer way like we did a couple years ago.  We even found a source for the red root that is much closer to home.  As always I think these eggs are so much cooler than the store bought dye.  They turned out so beautiful!

Just a couple more pictures.

Logan digging up the root.

This is Chapter being really excited to color Easter eggs:)

Getting in touch with my Inner Grandma

My Grandma Holm made these for us when we were little.  I don't know if it was every year or not but I do remember being disappointed when I got the first one and my mom told me I couldn't eat it.  The one that sticks out most in my memory was white with peach frosting.  I kept that one forever.

If you don't know what this is it's basically a hollow egg made out of sugar and decorated with royal icing.  I've been meaning to make one forever but I finally got to it this year.  It was really fun to make and it made me think about my grandma:)

Easter Bunny

Chap met the Easter Bunny last week at Walmart.  He didn't really care one way or the other but the picture is cute:) I don't know if there was something wrong with the camera or the printer but everything is crystal clear except for Chapter.

I'm a Genius:)

Although I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person to ever think of this or to do it I am pretty dang proud of myself.  I've been thinking about it forever, but cutting clothing gives me anxiety, much like cutting too short yard sale pants into shorts for me does.  But with the pressure of Chapter needing something never-before-seen and spring colored to wear for Easter Sunday, I thought that now was the perfect time.  Basically I shouldn't have been procrastinated for so long because I have pulled off way worse than this before!

Chap with Grandpa Cecil

I took Chapter to see his Great Grandpa Cecil the other day it sure was a fun visit.  Cecil will be turning 95 in April and he's Logan's paternal grandfather.  Chapter's middle name came from this line of the family.  Frederick was Cecil's grandfather's middle name too. He also had an uncle named Frederick.  I had better mention that Frederick was also my great grandfather's name on my mom's side.  We loved that it was a name we wanted and it was after two very good men. Cecil's always telling us to remember that his grandpa Benjamin Frederick was the 3rd wagon into St. George when they settled it.  Not necessarily a bad person to be named after, and on my side Frederick was the first person to have a college education and was the superintendent of Garfield County School District.  So basically a very good name.

But I digress.  Chapter liked Grandpa Cecil a lot.  He dept smiling at him and talking.  Cecil like Chapter too and he said he was a fine boy:)  Having Cecil in Chapter's life means a lot to me.  I think it is incredible and wonderful for Chapter to know his Great-Grandpa.  I never even met one of my grandfathers since they both died years before I was born.  That makes if wonderful for me to have Cecil in my life too since he's the only grandpa I've ever had that I knew.  Plus, he's gotta be the cutest old man I've ever seen, and really really with it for a man of his age:) We love you Grandpa!

St. Patricks Day

St. Patrick's Day was on a Sunday this year and on Sunday morning we thought we had better live it up since Chapter only gets one first St. Paddy's:)  The only problem was he doesn't have any church appropriate green clothes.  Only some obnoxious green sneaker socks that I don't think he has ever even worn which I suppose could be worn to church, if only they weren't so ugly:)  Then I remembered that I had this pin that I got last St. Patrick's day and he wore it.  Most of the other kids were decked out in green church clothes but the pin saved Chap from getting pinched!  Phew!

We didn't get Chapter anything for St. Patrick's Day (Oh the shame!) but his Grandma's gave him cards and money and treats, you know the usual Grandma stuff.  It was a fun day!

5 Months

Chap is 5 months old!  I can't even believe it!  Yesterday was the first day that we "did" his hair and it was SO CUTE!  He is growing up so fast.  He also scooted backwards in his walker yesterday.  We bought him some oatmeal cereal instead of the rice and it tastes so much better and he eats it really well.  So far he has eaten sweet potatoes, bananas, and pears.  Pears are definitely his favorite, I think he would eat those all day long if we let him:)  He's so cute and happy and he laughs every day now.  We're so lucky to have such an amazing little boy in our home.

Dooms Day We're On Our Way

Sydney and I have been thinking that we've needed to start getting our own food storage and not relying on our parents.  Because Sydney's mom doesn't really have much and the Ron Blake Smith's isn't as full as it used to be when mom was in charge. Also we feel that Ivins might be too dangerous of a trip if and when we do need food from storage.  We don't have much so far but we got a little a months worth of freeze dried food our 55 gal of water and some other items from the cannery we're working on getting more as the funds become available.  Also as you can see, and as much as Sydney hates it, I am also working on ways to protect said  food storage. Now if only the ammo shortage would go away.

72 hour kits here we come!

Valentine's Day

Yesterday was an exciting day at our house.  It was Chapter's first Valentine's Day!
Here are the Valentines that he sent to his Aunties and Grandmas.

We had a lot of fun making these:) Super cute!

Then he also got a card with money from Grandma Deb and a card and stuffed puppy from Grandma M.  We also got him a balloon.  There is only so much you can do when he can't eat candy! He also got his sweet bib from my sister Kristy and the shirt he is wearing underneath (that you can't see) but it's really cute too, it has a raccoon on it and it says Love Bandit:) His girlfriend or godmother or whatever she is calling herself these days (Allie Madsen) also brought us some cookies.

This year was similar to last year in that we had dinner at home and had the rest of the fancy steaks we bought for my birthday in December.  Super yummy!  I also made cherry drop dessert.  This year to mix it up we set a $5 limit for each other to get gifts.  We basically have a ton of junk food, but it really made it more fun to scheme what we could get for only $5.  Logan got me a bunch of Reeses Eggs.  I got Logan some orange soda, swedish fish, baby ruth, and chocolate covered pretzels.  And much like all the other events since Chapter was born, it seems we only managed to take pictures of him:) He's so much fun, but we're going to have almost no material to put on the anniversary video this year. Maybe it will just be a Chapter video:)  But anyway, yesterday was quite memorable!

4 months

My boy is 4 months old!  When we took him to the doctor he did a great job with his shots and only cried for a minute.  He has been rolling over intermittently and laughed for the first time on Feb. 8 (other than in his sleep which he has been doing his whole life pretty much). We tried feeding him rice cereal and he ate it the first time like a champ, but he hates it now and he cries the whole time.  His eyes are still blue and he's pretty amazing.  I'm so worried that I won't be able to remember every little detail of his whole life and that terrifies me.  I want to remember every moment just the way it is and remember how happy we are and how sweet and adorable my boy is.