We left for
Boise on Tuesday, February 19
th for Kristie & Tom’s wedding. Although the time went much too quickly, it was a great trip. This is a pretty long entry, but once again, it's for history.
Tuesday was a little crazy, Jeff had to work the whole day so it was up to me to finish packing, getting ready, and loading the car. It’s always a bit interesting with kids, especially a baby that needs to be fed every few hours. Jacob had preschool that morning so after dropping him off I went to run our last few errands. The night before we really got lucky, Jeff went to go look at a portable DVD player at Best Buy. They didn’t have the one we wanted so he bought a different more expensive one. However, when he stopped by Target to pick up something else he found the one he was originally looking for. And the best part was that it was marked down on clearance to $65! With it being that cheap, we figured we could spend a little more money on an extra battery. So that’s what I was doing Tuesday morning along with returning the other DVD player. I also stopped at Target to pick out a few snacks for our trip. After picking up Jacob from preschool, we hurried home and I finished getting things put together. It’s amazing how long everything takes. I finished getting the last luggage in the car, trash taken out, and the house cleaned up just in time. From there I loaded the kids in the car and we were off to get Jeff from work. 
We drove to an airport parking place and were just getting ready to get on the bus. It still makes me laugh, Caleb did NOT want to get on the bus. He kept telling me no, and even started running the other direction. I had to run and catch him. He told me, “No ride on the bus. Ride the airplane to Grandma’s!” I finally convinced him that we were only riding the bus to get to the airplane. Checking in at the airport was as fun as always. Of course we had one bag that was over 50 lbs, and it doesn’t matter if you’re only checking 4 when you’re allowed to check 8 or even that the other three bags were about 25 pounds each. So we had to open it up and pull out random things and find a way to stuff them into the other bags. Luckily the airport wasn’t too busy at that point. But the best part is the security check-in! Not only do they make you take off coats, shoes, jewelry, take baby out of car seat, etc. But they also require you to take off your kids’ shoes etc. as well. I felt bad for the people behind us. At this point I was extremely grateful I decided not to fly by myself! We were glad when we finally got to the airplane and got settled in. Then it took a while to actually take off. We spent an hour in the plane while they did a de-icing process. But the flight actually went pretty well! It was pretty bumpy at one point, but Jacob and Caleb didn’t mind. While everyone else is sitting still holding onto their chairs, Jacob and Caleb are coloring and laughing because it’s bumpy.
They thought it was great. We actually didn’t use the DVD player much on the flights. In fact, we only used it for about the last 30 minutes of our trip. The boys enjoyed getting drinks, coloring, playing with their cars, and especially reading stories. Thanks Great Grandma & Grandpa Tanner for the awesome little backpacks and books you sent for Christmas, those were perfect for the trip! They carried all their own little toys and books themselves. The boys especially love the “Favorite Fairly Tales & Fables” book. We read that for about 45 minutes on the trip. We had a brief layover in Minneapolis, and then it was on to Boise. I was just amazed that Jacob and Caleb didn’t sleep more. By the time we arrived in Boise it was almost 2am Philadelphia time; and they had only slept for about 30 minutes total. We were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa Stevens, they picked us up and we headed home. Everyone was so excited to see each other that we ended up staying up way too late, but we had a fun time. Grandma especially loved seeing Jacob and Caleb and rocking Matthew.
Wednesday we all enjoyed sleeping in! When we got up, Grandma Stevens made a fabulous breakfast with pancakes, bacon, juice, yogurt, etc. Jacob and Caleb were in heaven, after all, what could be better than good food and Grandma? They also loved helping Grandpa to feed the horses. After breakfast I got the boys bathed and ready while Jeff went to go pick up our rental car; and were happy to see that they gave us a brand new Toyota Camry it was great for the week. When Jeff got back we headed over for Eliza’s birthday party. 
It was fun to see all the cousins and spend some time with family. Eight months is too long to go without seeing your family. We got the four babies together for the first time, and Jacob and Caleb had a great time playing with their cousins. Scott & Mandy’s house was all decorated with cute red & pink hearts and decorations. 
The kids had a blast together. Afterwards we headed up to my parent’s house. Once again it was fun to see family again and especially to let the family meet Matthew for the first time. Aunt Kathy was also there, Mom had just picked her up from the airport that day. She’s so sweet, she flew all the way from Arizona to help with the food for the wedding. Wednesday night we just enjoyed visiting and getting things ready for the wedding. Matthew was as sweet as ever, smiling at everyone and getting lots of attention. Jacob and Caleb had a blast playing with Uncle Cole and Aunt Lacey. They’ve gotten into a funny thing lately. Their latest fascination is with Ninja Turtles, so whenever they would start playing rough with Uncle Cole, they would start chanting, “Ninja Turtles” over and over. It was pretty funny.
Thursday morning we got things together and left around noon to drive down for Kristie’s wedding. Although we were tired, it was fun to drive together. I think road trips are the best times for good, long conversations with Jeff. The boys slept for a good amount of the trip, and this is also the part where our DVD player came in handy. It wasn’t the most romantic Valentine’s Day ever, but it was nice to have some time to spend together. When we got to Provo we dropped the boys off at Kristie’s apartment with Lacey and Cole while we went to the temple. We were a little disappointed that we ended up missing Kristie’s endowment session by just a couple minutes because of some bad traffic. So instead we did sealings with Greg. It was fun to be together we haven’t seen Greg for a long time. 
Afterwards, we ended up meeting Kristie, Tom, Kendra, Mom and Dad in the celestial room; that was the best part. Kristie looked so happy and it was great to be with family. It was fun to see Kristie’s new hair too. She’s had short hair for a long time and really wanted long hair for her wedding so she got extensions. I wasn’t sure what they were going to look like, but they looked great! After the temple we picked up the boys and met up with Greg and his girlfriend Camera at a Thai restaurant. Good thing they were open late because we didn’t even get there until about 9:45. We thought about sending the boys with my parents, but Camera wanted to meet them as well. It was a fun evening with great food and great company. It was so fun to be with Greg, and great to meet Camera, she’s a sweet girl. By the end of the evening, Caleb had put his head down on the table and fell asleep, I felt so bad, but they were sure good boys. From there we headed up to Salt Lake where we were staying with Grandma Hiller. We visited with Aunt Kathy, Aunt Terri, and Tiffany for a while before we finally went to sleep.
Friday morning it was so fun to see Grandma Hiller again. It’s been a couple years, she hadn’t even met Matthew or Caleb so it was a fun reunion and a sweet experience for her to meet the two boys. She fixed us a yummy breakfast and we enjoyed being together for a while, then it was time to get ready. Of course things always take longer than you expect so we were in a bit of a rush to get to the temple on time. Jeff dropped me and the boys off at the corner while he went to get a parking spot. I imagine we were quite the sight. Me in my bridesmaid outfit & high heels, holding Jacob’s hand who is holding Caleb’s hand, and Matthew in his carseat in my other arm; all the while trying to hurry and cross the street and get to the temple. We didn’t get too far before I realized the high heels were making it too slow, so we stop for a minute and off go the high heels. So now we’re walking quickly with me holding my shoes too. Fun memories. Of course we all made it with plenty of time. I appreciated all the cousins & siblings who helped watch the boys while we went to the wedding. It was so neat to be there with Jeff and all the family. Kristie and Tom looked so happy and it was such a special wedding. 
Afterwards we did all the pictures, and then headed up to the church for the wedding luncheon. Once again it was fun to see lots of extended family that we haven’t seen for quite a while. The food was great, and the wedding video was sure cute; although I was a bit bothered by the fact that I only showed up once in the video while other friends and family showed up many times. I guess we know who Kristie loves the most! (just kidding) Once again, after cleaning up, it was time to head back to Boise. It sure seemed like an awful lot of driving for a few short hours, oh well, it just meant more time for Jeff and I to have time to talk with just the two of us. I’m sure grateful for him. The time around Valentine’s Day is a great time to reflect just how much I love Jeff; life wouldn’t be the same without him! We got to Boise around 9:30 that night. We had debated going out on a date with Jeff’s parents and siblings, but when we got home we just ended up putting the kids in bed and relaxing at home. Good decision.
Saturday morning we met up with the Stevens crew at the YMCA for some racquetball and swimming. The racquetball was a blast, but it’s been a while since we’ve played. I didn’t have my greatest games ever, but it was sure fun; especially since there was daycare for all the kids to play at while we played. We did keep the four babies and Lora with us, and they were pretty good! Only bummer was that after continually reminding everyone to wear eye gear, Jeff ended up nailing CJ(who wasn’t wearing any) in the eye with the ball. He was seeing a black line for a while, but ended up being fine. I don’t think anyone needed any reminders after that one. After a couple hours of racquetball, we were all ready for swimming.
Another funny thing, I ran into one of my old seminary teacher. It was fun to see and visit with him, but always a little awkward running into seminary teachers when you’re both decked out in swimsuits. Jacob and Caleb had a blast in the pool, they haven’t had a lot of time to go swimming so they were in heaven. They were bummed we couldn’t stay longer, but eventually we had to leave. We headed back to my parent’s house where we got ready for the reception. It was also the first time I actually got to spend some time with Kristie. Funny story, one of my little cousins was there at the house and they had spent the night at the local hotel. I had turned to her and asked her if she had a good time at the hotel last night. Well, Kristie is in the kitchen as well, along with her mother-in-law, my mom and another aunt. They all were looking different directions so they didn’t see who I had directed the question to, but everyone turned around surprised when they heard it. I realized what everyone must have thought, and we all had a good laugh. Rita, Kristie’s mother-in-law remarked she was thinking that we must be a pretty close family! Anyway, we got a good laugh out of it. The reception that night was sure nice. All the aunts did a great job with the food, and the decorations, cake, and set-up were just beautiful. It was fun to see lots of old friends and family.
Jacob and Caleb had fun playing with kids and enjoying the food. The meatballs especially were a hit with Caleb, I don’t know how many times I saw him with a meatball (on a toothpick). He thought it was great, they were at just the right height for him to get them and he would lick them like a sucker before eating them. Kristie told me that Caleb kept bringing her meatballs throughout the evening as well. He was so funny. At least the food served was fairly healthy, there was a huge vegetable tower, different breads, meatballs, mini chicken sandwiches, tarts and a few other things. 
Once again, the boys loved it. Mom Stevens was so sweet that evening too. She came to help, and ended up being the one who took care of Matthew and helped watch the boys while I stood in the line etc. She was a lifesaver. And Matthew loved it! The evening was a lot of fun. Even during the clean-up we were able to visit with Tom’s family and watch Caleb help Grandpa Stevens put tables away; he was a crack up! After the reception we spent the night at the Stevens; we figured with all the company at my parent’s house and church at 9am, it would be better to be at the Stevens. We got the boys to bed, and enjoyed visiting with Mom and Dad Stevens for a little while before we all went to sleep.
Sunday morning was pretty busy. We had church at 9am so we hurried and got everyone ready and went to church with my parents. It’s nice having our families live so close to each other, but it sure does make for an interesting juggling act sometimes! We’re just grateful that both families are friends, and so loving and aware of the situation. So we had church with my family. Sacrament meeting was pretty nice, Jacob and Caleb sat with my family and Jeff and I just had Matthew. It’s amazing how quiet and peaceful sacrament meeting can be with only one child! Jacob was especially excited because Grandma Tanner was his primary teacher. After church we said goodbye to Tom’s parents & brothers. Then we headed up to my parents’ house for a lunch with Tom’s Uncle and Aunt. We were fortunate enough to get to hear their conversion stories. They were both really neat, they’re such neat people. After a little more time at my parents, we headed back over to the Stevens for a dinner with the family. It was fun to have everyone together again. I think some of my favorite memories are just being together at the house with family, playing games and having fun. It’s so fun to see all the grandkids (18 to be exact, and all under the age of 12) play so well together. It gets a little crazy, but it’s so much fun.
The Four Babies
(David-Aug, Mary-Aug, Matthew-Oct 19, Gideon-Nov 2)
Monday morning we headed up to the YMCA for round 2 of racquetball. Once again we had a great time playing together, and it was good knowing we had at least gotten in somewhat of a workout. I’m afraid our week back at home wasn’t the greatest for eating healthy and working out. Oh well, we sure had fun.
Anyway, the racquetball was a lot of fun and luckily there were no casualties this time! We planned on playing tennis afterwards, so we were outside getting lunch ready and trying to play. Jeff and I played one game against Nettie & Mark (Okay, I’ll brag….we won) but we quickly realized it was way too cold and windy to be out, especially for the babies who weren’t happy. Matthew was especially not excited to be outside. Sweet Aunt Mandy held him while we finished our game. Then we gave hugs and said goodbyes. Hopefully it wont be another 8 months before we see everyone again. My mom had called a little earlier to let me know that they were going bowling with the Griffeths & Colemans, we had debated whether or not to go, but we ended up going back to Stevens to get our things all rounded up; probably a good decision especially since Mom & Dad Stevens were having company over that evening. So we got things together and then went up to my parents house for lunch with the family.
It was nice to actually have an afternoon and evening with nothing to do but sit and relax. For a vacation, this trip had very little down time! It seems like we were always doing something or going somewhere, but it was sure fun. I’m glad we crammed lots of things in and wouldn’t change anything. But it was nice to have one day where we didn’t do as much. We just enjoyed visiting and I even took a nap for an hour! Not purposefully, but I fell asleep when I was feeding Matthew. That night I made dinner and we had Family Home Evening and visited some more. Later on after getting kids in bed we played games, and to top off the evening I highlighted Lacey’s hair. We finished just in time for me to feed Matthew at 2am.
Tuesday morning it was hard to believe that our trip was over. I got up at 7:30 to finish packing things up. We enjoyed the morning and Jacob & Caleb got to play outside with Carly and Grandpa for a while. Finally it was time to leave. We dropped off the rental car and met Mom & Dad Stevens who took us to the airport. There were lots of hugs and a few tears. We can’t help but feel grateful for having the most wonderful families. Then we got on the plane and had a ‘less-than-perfect’ flight home. Lets just say the boys weren’t quite as cooperative as their trip out. We ended up getting home around 12:30am and were ready to be home! Even though we were tired, it was such a fun trip.
(This picture was taken after most of the oreo had been washed off. As you can see he looks pretty happy.)
