Spring Break 2019 - Oklahoma Here We Come!

The drive from Amarillo to Oklahoma City takes 4 hours. I took the kids to the trampoline park in the morning to burn off energy, and then we hit the road right after lunch. The day of our drive was EXTREMELY windy. The news reports later called it a "land hurricane." Amarillo saw sustained winds of 60+ mph, with gusts up to 84 mph - yikes!!

Back home power lines, trees, light poles, signs and fences all went down. We had people in our ward who lost power for a couple days, and I had several friends lose their trampolines (luckily there was no damage at our house). There were several reports of overturned semis, and we saw a pickup towing a trailer get flipped on our drive. Dave said his arms got tired trying to keep the van straight and it made me nervous every time we had to pass a semi, but we made it!

The drive along I-40 is pretty boring, but there were two fun landmarks that we passed - a giant cross and the "Leaning Tower of Texas."  

I was able to find a great deal on a two-bedroom condo through Groupon for our stay. It was perfect for our family, and also came with a free breakfast and dinner buffet! The swimming pool was unfortunately closed during our stay, but we were pretty busy with other activities and didn't really miss it. Look up Isola Bella if you ever need a place to stay in OKC!

We had a full kitchen and eating area

The kids bedroom (the chairs are there to keep Davey from rolling off the bed)

Our bedroom

The laundry closet had enough room for a pack-n-play for Charlie

The living area - out balcony looked out over a duck pond, which was super fun for the kids. 

The entire trip Davey kept telling us he wanted to go to Oklahoma, even though we were already there. We kept telling him "this is Oklahoma - you're here!" but he didn't seem to get it.

The first night there was some contention at bedtime and we ended up putting Sophie in our bed and transferring her back after Davey was asleep, but the second night everyone slept just fine. 

Spring Break 2019 - Amarillo Fun

We were planning to drive out to Dallas for Spring Break to spend time with grandparents and friends, but unfortunately a pipe burst at grandma's house, forcing them into a hotel while damages were assessed and repairs made. I didn't want to waste a whole week of no school just hangning around home, though, so it was time for Plan B!

After looking into different driveable destinations, we decided visit Oklahoma City. We only wanted to go for a couple nights though (hotel stays with young kids can be rough), which left time in Amarillo, so we also did a few things here close to home to make use of Sophie's time off school.

Monday was rainy and cold so we spent the morning at the Discovery Center. Davey wanted my to make a dinosaur on the giant Lite Brite, and this was my best effort.

We went to an animal encounter presentation. The kids love animals and were thrilled to see a snake, hedgehog, and tarantula. 

One night we went swimming at WT. Normally the place is almost empty, but today there were over 200 people - yikes! We brought Sophie's friend Emery with us and the kids still had fun despite the crowds. 

Not the best photo, but I met my friend Candice at Cinergy for their $5 movie Tuesday and we took all the kids to see How to Train Your Dragon 3. I loved the snack trays on their chairs, which also have built in seat heaters!

Charlie is ONE!!

Charlie finished his first year!! He is the happiest little boy and it's been so fun to have him in our family. He is adored by all. We celebrated the weekend after his birthday, since his actual birthday was spent traveling home from Utah. Our local grocery store baked him a cute, little cake, which he loved until we lit the candle. The fire scared him and screamed for the entire "Happy Birthday" song until we blew it out and took it away (video posted below). 

Since he is not a good eater, we weren't sure what he would do with his cake after giving it back. He poked his slice a few times, but didn't like the feel, so I have him a spoon and suddenly he started digging in! I don't think he actually ate much, but he did seem to like the taste of the frosting and he did a great job smearing it everywhere.

Video of the Event

After cake we opened presents. He got a music set and blocks from Grandmari, a shape sorter and stacking chicken from his siblings, and a train from us. Sophie and Davey were very excited to help him, and I don't think Charlie even saw some of his presents that day because the were snatched by his siblings as soon as they were out of the package.

Charlie at 12 Months

• 30 inches (46%) 20.8 lbs (39%) and 18.5 inch head (72%). He grew some since his last check up! We had been worried because he lost weight between his 6 month and 9 month well checks. It wasn't a big gain, but it was progress and hopefully the start of getting back on track.
• Charlie can pull up to stand independently, but gets nervous being unsupported after a few seconds and will sit back down. He has also taken a few steps on his own. We hope he will start walking in the next month or two so he can enjoy the backyard and parks with the family now that spring is here. 
• He got his molars this past month, and his other bottom teeth have broken through, bringing his tooth count total to 10. 
• I fear we are already starting make the transition to only one nap. The other kids gave up morning naps around 18 months, but Charlie won't last that long. Right now he takes only one nap a couple days a week, and by summer I'm sure that will be his regular schedule. 
• He loves to play with the tub handles for the master bath. They are right at his level and he is just drawn to them. I've found the water running more than once, so we are working on a way to baby proof them. 
• He loves relaxing in his baby float at the pool, throwing gravel around the backyard, helping me "unload" the dishwasher, and being carried around. 

At his one year well check

He's cute and he knows it

"So Big" is his favorite trick these days

Loving the swings at the park

Baby bubble monster

We love you Charlie!!

Spring is Just Around the Corner!

I think most people assume that we don't have much of a winter here in Texas, but Amarillo does get cold. We rarely get buried in snow or ice like the northern states, but temperatures do go below freezing from late November to March and the blasting winds here always make it feel at least 10 degrees colder than it really is (which is heavenly in the summer, but bitter in the winter). Our cold season is coming to an though and we are starting to see signs of spring!

One day in March we hit 76 degrees, so after dinner we drove over to the park for a fun evening of play before bed. Coats were optional! The kids were so happy to be outside, and we were so happy they could run and play. Tired kids sleep well, which makes bedtime easy for us :)

I scream, you scream!

Charlie did his best to follow the big kids around on the play structure

Davey trying to grab me on the swing

I taught Sophie how to go upside down on the bars and how to do a flip!

A Trip to Utah for Mimi's 90th Birthday Party

My grandma turned 90 in February! The family had a big birthday celebration planned for her the first week of March, and I was so glad I could attend. My mom and sister were also there, so it was a bit of a girl's trip too! Charlie and I flew out on a Friday afternoon, her party was on Saturday, and then we spent a couple more days in Utah before returning home. 

Trying to keep this guy entertained on the plane. We had a 5 hour travel day and he didn't sleep for any of it. Our first leg had open seats, but the second flight was completely full and so I had to hold him on my lap the whole time. which made him very angry. There was lots of screaming between Las Vegas and Salt Lake, but we survived.

It was so good to see my grandma again! Charlie just loves her. He loves to hold her hands and always gives her the sweetest smiles. I'm hoping that next time I can bring the whole family out to Utah so they can all see her again. We have missed Grandma Mimi so much since moving to Texas. 

The party was held at my Aunt Susan's house in Provo. I was able to see several cousins that I have not seen for years! We had a yummy meal catered by Cafe Rio, followed by cake, and then a presentation about grandma's life. 

Charlie was the youngest one in attendance (great-grand kids weren't invited, but he was an exception) . He was really good the whole night and just bounced from relative to relative without complaint. 

Happy Birthday Grandma!

It was so fun to hear stories and see photos from her life. She is truly one of the most beautiful people I know. This is her with my Grandpa Roger. 

Beautiful Grandma

Group photo - it's hard to believe this is only about 25% of the family. She has an amazing legacy!

On Sunday we were able to spend more time with my grandma at the house and then we went to lunch at Little America with her, my parents and my sister. After lunch we had to say our "see you soons!" which is always hard :( I really hope I can make another trip that way sometime in the next year. 

We then drove up to Park City to see my Uncle Brent and stay with him for a couple nights at his condo for some skiing! I was so glad I could extend my trip by a day so I could have a day on the mountain with my sister, dad, and Brent. It's been a long time since we all skied together! It was a beautiful day with blue skies and a couple inches of new snow. I was really worried I wouldn't be able to keep up since I've only skied a couple times over the last several years, but my legs held up well and I had a great day!

At the top of Jupiter Bowl (I think)

My dad said this one was frame worthy

Riding the one of the chairlifts. Park City resort is HUGE! We rode about 12 different lifts that day and I never had any clue where we were. 

My sister and I at the top of the Thaynes, where my mom spent a lot of time on during her youth

The ski day was made possible by Grandmari who loaned me all her ski gear and stayed back to watch Charlie. They had a good day together (except for getting locked out of the condo once) and she even got this picky eater to have some soup for lunch. 

A soak in the hot tub after a ski day is always the best

Headed home on Charlie's birthday! Luckily our trip back was much smoother than the trip out. We had an entire row to ourselves for both legs and after some exploring, Charlie took a nice, long nap.