Utah

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 It melts my heart when my parents read to my children.  Also, I just have to add this in here.  My flight was originally scheduled for just a week, because Matthew was only supposed to be in Tanzania for 7 days.  His trip was changed last minute, after we had already made our flight, and he ended up traveling to Ethiopia too, and being gone 3 weeks.  My parents paid for us to change our flights and stay longer in Utah, and we were so very grateful for that!

 Nick is into costumes right now

 My parents got these fun chairs that the boys loved!

 They ate lunch in them almost every day

 On the merry-go-round at Gigi's

 With Gigi on the back porch

 Riding the golf cart with Grandpa Joe

 Tractor

 Swimming with Uncle Michael and my Dad.  My brothers and brothers-in-law became my boys temporary fathers while Matthew was gone.  I don't think they understood how much that meant to me.

 My parents had a sleepover with Ethan, Nick, Blake, Zach, and Tayvin.  These boys are all about the same age.  We originally did this because I wasn't going to be in Utah for the reunion because Matthew would be home by then.  I did end up staying for the reunion, but my parents already planned this, so we decided to still do it.  They swam in the pool at night with all the lights on in the pool and yard and got to sleep in tents in the basement together.  They had such a fun time!!

 Picking blackberries to make ice-cream

 

 We had a family reunion in Little Cottonwood canyon and we stopped at the City Creek Mall in Salt Lake City.  The boys liked looking at the rainbow trout.

 This was a fun morning trip before the reunion

 This is the only picture I got from the reunion, and it just shows how dirty Ethan got at the cabin.  We had such a fun time eating s'mores, and going on walks and just spending time together.

When we got back to my parents house, Nick locked himself in my parents computer room.  My mom was at the Dentist, and my dad had to go to work.  My dad was frantically looking all over the house for the key, but we couldn't find one.  He cried for about 10 minutes, and then fell asleep on the floor.  I had a locksmith come, and he had to drill off the door.  Nick slept through the whole thing!