Take the long way home...

I'm actually posting this from the airport in San Diego and it is day two of my journey home.  My mom graciously gave me a Buddy Pass from Southwest Airlines which means I can fly free on standby.  This is usually a great situation, however, the flights have been so overbooked that I have spent the last two days in the airport and I'm still a long way from home.  Yesterday I started out in Kelowna, BC and made it as far as Seattle, Washington.  After spending the entire day waiting I finally grabbed a hotel room and decided to try again today.  After waking up at 3:00am to be the first on the list I flew to San Jose then to San Diego.  Now I'm waiting to catch a flight to Las Vegas and then HOPEFULLY I'll catch another to Houston tonight!  Wow... but you can't complain about a free ticket right?

Round Trip to Canada Please

So I'm writing this post from our neighbors to the north in a little place known as Vernon, Canada.  I am up here helping a friend whose family was in a motorcycle accident last week.  I won't write all their personal details here except that things are looking so much better and each day progress is made.  When I first heard about the accident I knew right away I wanted to be there to help but obviously the hospital isn't the best place to take a 9 month old baby.  I also knew the trip up there would be long and so I'd need to stay for a while to really be of any use at all.  Not only did I need to find a place for Josh for an entire week I also had to deal with the reality of leaving him for an ENTIRE week.  Well the first part was no problem at all!  We are so amazingly blessed with supportive people in our lives!  Between family and church friends we had everyday covered in a matter of minutes.  No hesitation from anyone at all.  Even my dear friend Bethany who has a busy 20 month old and another one in the belly was willing to take Josh for the entire week!  However my dad surprised me the most when he went to his boss and asked for the time off so that he could fly out to Houston and stay with Josh at the house.  This was a super arrangement because it allowed Josh to stay in a familiar environment while my dad had the chance to bond with his only grandson.  I was so impressed that he was willing and excited to change diapers, feed, entertain, and put Josh down for his daily naps.  He stayed until Thursday and then Nana Jean (Kevin's mom) took over.  I have definitely missed him, mostly his smile (I picture it in my head many times during the day).  However we have been so busy here that I don't have much time to dwell on the fact that my baby is a whole country away!  We have been staying at the hospital but yesterday they released her daughter (her husband is still in ICU) and so we came home to a friends house and that is where I am writing this morning.  We have to wait until the Red Cross opens before we can move out this morning so it has forced us to sit and rest for a while.  I had to post because this is the most beautiful non-vacation place I've ever seen.  Of course there are beautiful places around the world but they are meant for honeymooners and tourists.  This place is a normal town were people actually live out their day to day lives.  There are lakes every where and mountains with large green farming acres spread across them.  I am actually sitting outside on the balcony in 75 degree weather writing this.  The pictures aren't the best because the are taken by computer. (I basically turned the screen around and clicked the camera button) I can't wait to come back up here with Kevin and Josh and spend some time camping and on the lake.  Anyone interested in joining us?  I'm telling you this place won't disappoint! 

The Zoo

Part 2 of our crazy time last week.  On Thursday we loaded up the 12 passenger van and mom's car and headed to the Alb. zoo.  Considering Alb. is not a major US city I think it has a pretty great zoo, although a lot of the animals seemed to be MIA that morning.  We took a train ride around the grounds and Josh seemed to enjoy watching the people much more than the animals.  The babies also took turns feeding the giraffes.  I thought Josh would love it because he isn't usually scared by anything. (For example he loves the vacuum cleaner, the weed eater, the giant waterfall at the pool, and the man dressed up like a big cow at Chic-Fil-A)  He was not a fan of that giraffe though. I think the giant tongue was too much to take.  He also had his first try at sherbet that day.  He didn't know what to think at first, I think the cold shocked him, but after a few tries he seemed to like it a lot!  By the end of the afternoon we were all pretty wore out! 

Oh I forgot the best part!  Recall my fourth of July post and my nostalgia for small town parades and matching cousin outfits?  Well Aunt Patty decided to keep the tradition alive!  We just celebrated a little late that's all!

Josh asleep as we headed to the car.  He just couldn't make it another step.

Enjoyable Chaos

Well this past week was full of non-stop fun for all of us. There is no way to write about it in one post so instead I'll do three segments. This first one, Enjoyable Chaos, will describe life in a three bedroom house with eleven adults, four babies under the age of one, and a three year old for a week.   My Uncle Brucie, Aunt Patty, their three girls, four grandchildren and my Grandma with her dog Eenie drove down from Provo, Utah to spend the week with us before my big reunion the on 25th.  While they insisted the drive down wasn't too bad I can only imagine and am very grateful we got to fly in.  Josh was super on the plane, in fact, all six times we have flown he hasn't shed a tear.  Josh had a great time with his cousins, especially Chloe the 3 year old.  He wanted to do everything she did and she could make him laugh so hard.  We spent time walking down around the Rio Grande River, visiting the park and zoo, swimming in the backyard, and playing around the house.  At any given time at least one baby was awake so as you can probably guess there wasn't a moment when the house was quiet and calm.  It was quite a change for Josh and me as it's just usually us hanging around the house.  I loved it and while Josh enjoyed his cousins, by the end of the week he was definitely over stimulated.  Kevin joined all the fun on Thursday night and spent Friday golfing with Brucie and my dad.  He was ready to see Josh and got there just in time to watch Josh take a few steps on his own!  I'm so glad both Kevin and my parents were there for the big moment!

Tricia with Trey (the youngest of the bunch)

Baby Sammie enjoying some biter biscuits

Everyone minus my parents, Kevin, Brucie, and the three dogs

Brucie with Sofie, Josh, and Chloe

Aunt Patty sharing a treat with Sofie (Lady and the Tramp kinda moment)

Great Grandma reading to Josh

About Time

As you can see it's about time for a haircut and good thing we are headed to Albuquerque to see Grandmo this weekend. We are headed there for my ten year high school reunion (wow I don't feel like it's been that long) and for an added bonus my Uncle Brucie, Aunt Patty, their three girls and all their babies will be there too! Josh will have all week with his Utah cousins and I'm so excited! So it may be a while until my next post but at least when it comes it should be a good one!

Reluctance

For the last few weeks every time we go to visit cousin Owen, Josh has spied his "walker" and tried to use it. Since Owen is officially walking on his own now Jen kindly offered to let us borrow the walker and my immediate response was "NO thank you!" Mobility changes everything! Obviously I don't want to hinder my child's development but I'm also in no hurry to have Josh walk. So for the last few weeks he makes do with standing up along the couch and moving his way down it, or the coffee table, or the window ledge, or he pushes the dining chair around the kitchen, or his favorite is to push the vacuum cleaner from one end of the living room to the other. Basically, he is making his own "walker" and there is no stopping him. So when Jen offered Owen's walker once again I finally gave in. Of course he loves it and I'm sure it won't be too long before he won't need its assistance any more.

Biased

So I know I'm biased but isn't he cute?!?!?!