Trip #1 (since moving to TX): Irvine for Austin's Homecoming

I know I've mentioned a bunch of times how much traveling we've done this summer. Basically since Tommy graduated two months ago we have been in a different time zone almost every week. NOT EXAGGERATING. Here's how it went:

North Carolina --> Utah --> California --> Mexico --> California --> North Carolina --> Texas --> California --> Texas --> Tommy in Utah, me in New York --> Texas --> Tommy in Virginia, me in Utah --> Texas AND DONE!

In case you were counting, that is 11 flights and one twenty-hour road trip. And in case you were wondering, it has been absolutely insane! Looking at our calendar before this summer started, I just felt my stomach sink thinking about how many flights we were going to have to go on with Dane and how hard it was going to be on him (and therefore all of us) to be traveling so much and messing with his schedule so much. I was really, really stressed thinking about how we were going to do all of this and not sure how it was going to turn out. 

But all in all, it has been GREAT. Dane has hands down been the world's best traveling toddler with everything. He has really been SO flexible and so, so, so good with all the time changes and flights. I think by the end he was just so used to getting on planes that he knew exactly what to expect and didn't want to run around and get down and whatnot. He would watch his shows, read books, and take a nap in our laps when he was tired. He has seriously THRIVED with all of these visits with family and has been happier being with them than he would be here at home with our quiet routine. I have loved seeing him with our families and he honestly doesn't need hardly any toys or anything to entertain him when we are with them. And when he's happy, Tommy and I don't really need anything more to do for us either! 

Seriously, we have been so lucky with him this summer. We have asked a LOT of him and he has just been so happy and completely fine with the late naps and late bedtimes and crazy schedules. What a nice, nice boy.

This wasn't all just joyriding, though. We have had some really good reasons for doing all this traveling, the first being going to California to see my little brother Austin when he came home from his mission. We had not been planning on making this trip until just a few weeks beforehand, when we realized we really didn't want to miss this--and since neither of us were working, we had no reason to NOT be there. So two days after unpacking our stuff in Texas, we hopped on a plane again and flew out to CA. We landed just about six hours before Austin did, so we were able to be there at the airport to welcome him home, and we were there for about five days to do some fun stuff with them.

Dane was so, so sweet sleeping on the plane in my lap. Seriously, what a nice guy. He got really good at taking long-ish naps despite all the noises on the airplane. 

Waiting for Austin at the airport! We made signs for him and were all waiting for him to come out.

My mom and dad were just staring at the screen waiting for it to say that his flight had landed. (It unfortunately never got updated accurately...)

Unfortunately, we were so excited about our signs, we were not ready waiting for him at the bottom of the escalator! Haha, we turned around from taking these pictures and he was already there walking towards us, haha. 

When my mom turned around and saw him, she screamed and we all thought something terrible had happened, haha. Just our cute missionary coming home!

Dane was really tired--he had already gone to bed for about an hour before we had to wake him up to go to the airport, haha. He was pretty excited to see Austin, even though this picture doesn't look like it.

We had Camille and Brandon Facetiming with us so that they could be there in spirit.

As a joke, we had this cardboard head of Dallin's that we put on Bethany's life-sized cutout of Liam from One Direction and had it waiting to greet Austin when he walked in the front door for the first time. He got a kick out of it. (That was the one bummer of the whole week--we wished Dallin could be there too!)

The first place Austin wanted to go was In-N-Out when he got home.

We spent the whole weekend doing some of our favorite things--like playing Risk together. Even Dallin's head was there in spirit.

We went to the beach one afternoon and Dane could NOT get enough of it the water. He LOVED it! He loved it so much he wanted to throw himself into the water and get swept away by the water. We needed two people there holding him so that he was safe. So funny.

Such a photogenic boy! I just wish my legs weren't there in the background messing up this picture, haha.

Trying to swim away in the waves...

Dane and Papa walking down to the pier to eat at Ruby's on the pier for dinner.

A great family picture!

Dane and his papa.

Siwwy Ausin! (Dane loves to have him chase him and say that about him.)

Giving kisses to Auntie Meel.

 He loved going for walks to the park in the wagon.

Riding home after swimming. So funny.

Dane also got a much-needed haircut from Grandma while we were there. So cute!

We went on the train at the Irvine Regional Park for about the fifth time. Dane always has a blast. It's become a tradition by now. And then we had a fun time hanging out at the park while some of us went running and Dane played at the playground.

 Before heading to the airport, Papa wanted a good picture with Dane but Dane did NOT want to cooperate.

Luckily my dad was coming to the airport too, for a flight of his own, and Dane was feeling better by the time we split up from him and we got a better picture there.

We rode on the bus back to where our car was parked and Dane was in HEAVEN getting to ride on the blue bus. He's been talking about the blue bus ever since. 

The best part of being there was of course getting to hear about Austin's mission and catch up with him after so long. The morning before we left, we reenacted this picture, which we took the night Austin was set apart as an elder two years ago, the last time we were all together. We'll have to do it again in another year when Dallin gets home, but this was the best we could do! Notice the difference that two years has made for Cole--and for Dane! 

The six Murphy siblings, (almost) reunited.