Utah almost-reunion with the Leininger clan

Well, like two months ago we headed up to Utah to spend a week with the Leiningers. We chose the week that we did because the Sevys were going to be there in between their move from China to Taiwan, and Troy and Sarah were also going to be there from Denmark as well. We HATE to miss out on what sounds like such a fun party so we booked our flights out there to be there at the same time. We were just missing the California Leiningers and Sister Leininger--so it was almost a full reunion without going anywhere! It was awesome. Every time I go on a trip anywhere I am so tired by the time I come home but the minute I start looking through the pictures I just keep thinking, "That was so fun! I am so glad we did that and we got to see those people and I wish we could go back!" This totally applies here. And every time we go to Utah I thank my lucky stars I have such a great, fun, wonderful family of in-laws that I love visiting and that love me back, even when I get cranky and tired traveling with our crazy kiddos!

We did a lot of fun excursions the whole week we were there. We went down to BYU one day, down to Salt Lake one day, to the This Is the Place monument and village, to the Ogden Dinosaur Park, tubing down the Ogden River. We were busy the whole time with these fun things. But really, the true reason we were there, and the best part about the trip, was all of the cousin time that our kids got. Oh my gosh, I couldn't get enough of seeing Dane running around with his cousins. They were all so cute and had so much fun together--and it's so rare that we all get to see each other. It was totally worth all the hassle of traveling to give them these memories together.

These pictures are completely out of chronological order. There is no chance of me reorganizing them to work out better. Just take 'em as they come. 

We took a trip down to BYU. Here's all the former Cougs together on top of the JFSB.

Tommy's old building.

My old building.

The Y, after having J-Dawgs for lunch.

Ogden Dinosaur Park--being chased by a dinosaur!

All the sisters and sisters-in-law got a pedicure together. A perfect morning out. We were very entertained by Kristen reading us her texts between her and her new boyfriend and helping her decipher. I love my sisters-in-law.

Have you ever seen anything cuter than a boy in a hammock?

The big group of almost everyone together. We were of course missing the few Leiningers who weren't there.

These cute cousins were completely having a blast.

Maddie loved giving everyone her chapstick. The whole family got their chapstick applied from the same tube... Luckily nobody was sick.

Dane wanted to eat every meal outside with his cousins.

Mayah was such a good big cousin to these cute boys.

Possibly the favorite being in the house is JET. Graham followed him around trying to smack him in the face all day long. Luckily Jet was pretty patient... And good at trying to escape.

Graham also loved Troy. When someone is willing to toss you in the air indefinitely, you keep them around.

We played Pie Face a few times and everyone loved it--adults and kids. 

It was so cute to see how delighted Dane was by getting creamed. He couldn't stop laughing.

Major love for these cousins here.

And for these ones. We even got matching shirts for the boys.

We had not one, but TWO marshmallow gun wars. One of the days was boys vs girls. 

And GUESS WHO WON??? We were very serious about it. I ran through the trees and totally scraped up my feet to pull out the flag. BOOM.

We floated down the Ogden River, which they said was very kid-friendly--so we had all the kids/babies in laps. It was totally kid friendly, except when Dane and I fell out of our tube and lost it and got dragged down the river for a long while and couldn't get a hold on anything. It was pretty scary in the moment (even though I knew we weren't in any danger--it was only about a foot deep). I don't think I want to tube with babies in laps again, haha.

We didn't have enough car space to get down to Salt Lake one day, so these boys and their dads rode the TRAIN down. BEST DAY EVER.

This picture just makes me laugh. Dane looks like the most relaxed overlord of this dinosaur ever.

Salt Lake! Our kids loved taking pictures here.

This will most definitely not be our Christmas card. Gross.

It was cute to show the boys the Christus statue even though they were completely irreverent about it.

Zach and Dane were soooo cute together.

Graham was really into trying to feed other people food while we were there.

This Is the Place monument on the day before Pioneer Day. I thought we would get to do more Pioneer Day stuff being in Utah, but since it was on a Sunday it was a little awkward.

Panning for gold with cousins.

Graham was all about the petting zoo.

We ate lots of meals outside with this crew. Doughnuts for breakfast one morning at Melissa's house.

Graham and Grandpa. Graham really loved all the men--uncles and grandpas--on this trip.

There was usually a bit of forced downtime every day with boys getting to watch shows together.

Or even playing games on phones together. 

We really squeezed a TON of stuff into our time there. And we weren't even trying to orchestrate an international move like the Sevys were (phew!). I truly LOVE getting to spend time with the Leiningers and I hope we can do a real reunion sometime in the next few years again. Those are the best. I firmly believe there is nothing better than cousin time to make a kid's summer great.

I'm so far behind

I haven't fallen this far behind on my blog for a long time. I usually am able to stay more on top of things, but I still haven't posted pictures from our FIRST trip to Utah in July. And I know exactly why this is: because I have been throwing up and exhausted and laying around wanting to do nothing but read Harry Potter and definitely not interested in blogging. 

In other words, I'm pregnant.

See? Proof:

I'm so not very cutesy and don't have any creative cute announcement to share. And this is baby #3 so I guess he/she will have to get used to not being the center of attention.

The facts:
-Due March 23
-I'm 13 weeks along now
-I usually stop throwing up around 14 or 15 weeks so hopefully that day is coming soon
-Graham turns 2 on April 4 so they will be just shy of two years apart
-We will find out if it's a boy or a girl probably in November.

We are excited. I think I will be more excited once I stop throwing up and feeling sick all the livelong day. (I have no wish to complain, but being pregnant is so hard for me. At least this beginning of nausea and sickness. I will be so grateful to have this behind me.) Then maybe I will be able to ponder the craziness we are signing ourselves up for with three wonderful kiddos. I'm a little nervous now that things are unavoidable. But I was telling a friend I was worried this baby and Graham were going to be too close together and she said, "It's always going to be hard. Waiting a few more months isn't going to change that." And I realized she was right. The first few sleepless screamy months are always rough and there are other things you just can't predict... so I think this will work out just as well for us. We certainly feel lucky and blessed to be able to bring another awesome little person into our family.

Visiting the Great-Grandparents

We had an EPIC month starting in the middle of July with visiting family in Utah and then having our family come to visit us here in Texas. It was busy and long, but so, so worth it. Tommy only was taking a week off of work, so I flew out a few days early so that I could see my grandparents for a few days before the Leininger "reunion" (aka, a bunch of the siblings ending up in Utah at the same time). I was so glad I was able to do that. I felt so special to be able to spend a whole day alone with each of my grandparents, and getting to see them and spend a lot of time talking with them. And I loved seeing Dane and Graham spending time with them too, of course. I love that Dane has totally bonded with each of my grandparents, and it makes me wish we lived closer to be able to visit much more often. (But luckily we get to see them again with the big WEDDING in a week!)

It is weird for me to call my grandmas and grandpas Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa whenever I am talking to my kids. It sounds like such a mouthful! Luckily, Dane has picked it right up and knows exactly who each of my grandparents are. It was so cute to hear him say, "Great-Grandma..." and "Great-Grandpa..." 

We first spent a day with Grandma and Grandpa Murphy in Orem. I had told Dane about Grandpa's missing finger and he asked him about it. I had to get a picture of this quintessentially Murphy moment--learning about Grandpa's missing finger.

Dane and Grandpa admiring a 100-year-old car in their neighborhood.

We spent the morning in Grandpa's garden helping and looking around. We harvested a bunch of tomatoes, lettuce, green onion, and cucumbers. Dane's FAVORITE thing was picking the raspberries--something he claimed he remembered doing from two years before. 

Dane also helped Grandpa with the watering. He may have squirted all over the wheelchair too.

Graham did not want to ride on Grandpa's lap. But Dane was excited about it.

I did take the boys down to the BYU Creamery to get ice cream around lunchtime. We were just too close to pass it up! Dane LOVED all the mountains around and kept talking about how amazing and tall they were. He really, really was fascinated by the letters on the mountain and wanted to hike up to them. We are going to try to hike the Y when we are in Utah again.

Graham enjoying some Graham Canyon ice cream... too cute!

We spent some time talking about Grandpa's farm when he was a little boy. He showed Dane some pictures of his pigs.

Graham was very sweet and cute, eating all of their berries while we were there.

I'm sad that this picture is a little blurry!

On the way up to Grandma and Grandpa Myres house, I stopped by the Mt. Timp temple with the boys and let them walk around. It was so beautiful. The boys mostly wanted to dig around in the dirt though.

Grandma Myres had popsicles for us when we got there.

I love the view in their backyard. It's so peaceful and beautiful.

Dane really loved Grandpa Myres. Grandpa couldn't believe that Dane was going to be a truck driver when he grew up. This is them talking about what kind of truck Dane wants to drive and if Grandpa can sit in the front seat next to him while he drives. (Dane said yes.)

We got to help in their garden too! We did some weeding in the front yard and pruned some trees with Grandma.

This was such a fun, nice way to start off our trip to Utah. We love Grandma and Grandpa Myres and Murphy so much. I feel so lucky to still have them all around and that my boys are getting to know and love them too.