Backyard Camping

Our first camping expedition of the year was in our backyard. This is my favorite way to camp because I still get to sleep inside in my nice bed and Warren gets to sleep in his, but we all get to sit around the fire and roast marshmallows together.

Warren was still getting used to the grass, but he liked it on the blanket.

Clara was especially excited to roast some Starbursts.

Denver

In April Barry had a conference in Denver for a few days and I was able to tag along with him - without any kids! Grandma Packer, Aunt Jeni, and Aunt Shari were so nice to watch them for us. It was the first time either of us had even flown since before we were married so it was a nice change of pace.

This is the Adagio Bed and Breakfast where we stayed.

Casa Bonita - This was a really fun Mexican restaurant. They serve all you can eat tacos, enchiladas, etcetera while you watch people dive off a waterfall and do fun shows. One guy even juggled something that was on fire. It was HUGE inside, which you would never guess considering it's located in a plain old shopping plaza with a Dollar Store.

Here I am being a dorky tourist while Barry was at his conference. This is Hammond's Candy Factory. They make all of their candy by hand and it's pretty fun to watch. I also went to the Denver mint but you can't take pictures there - something about the government not wanting you to steal all their money-making secrets. We also did a lot of shopping (our suitcases were very full), eating, and relaxing.

We had one scary incident during our travels: One night Barry and I decided to walk to 16th street where there is a huge strip mall and try out an Italian restaurant we heard was really good. There were a lot of people around and we felt like we stood out a little bit being white, small-town, non-smoking Mormons. At about 5pm we put our names on a list to get a table. As we were waiting by the front door we suddenly saw this huge mob of people sprinting past the building. Then a couple of them dashed into the restaurant yelling, "Somebody's shooting a gun!" It was crazy. They locked down the restaurant and turned on an alarm and we all backed away from the windows. This was about a week after the bombing at the Boston Marathon and I had all sorts of horrible things playing out in my head. We had wait a long time until we found out what happened. Apparently nearby at the Civic Center tens of thousands of people were having a marijuana rally when a gang fight broke out and somebody shot three people. No one died, but it caused mass hysteria that spread to where we were. 

After that I was pretty homesick. I wanted to hug my kids and feel safe again. We tried not to let it get us down too much and enjoy the last couple of days, but we sure are grateful to live where we do.

I was ready to come home and see this cute face.

It was his birthday after all! But he was well taken care of.

This is Triston, Quinton, Clara, and Connor all snoozing away at a slumber party at Grandma Packer's house.

Our flight back was delayed for a few hours due to snow so we got back late. I was so happy to wake up the next morning on my birthday and see my kiddos again! I was spoiled with lots of presents and cake. After our trip, though, it was just so nice to be home again.

Warren's 1st Birthday

The last year went so fast! It's hard to believe our little guy is one.

Enjoying his waffle breakfast.

He loved his birthday balloons.

We had lunch as a family at McDonald's for Warren's first Happy Meal. 

He LOVED his birthday cupcakes.

He was a little too engrossed in his presents to look at the camera, but he was excited!

Warren has such a sweet spirit. He has brought lightness and joy to our home and our family wouldn't be complete without him.

Easter

We had a fun Easter at home this year, starting with an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

Then we colored eggs of course. This part gets more and more fun as the kids get older.

See the intense looks of concentration? Coloring eggs is serious business.

Warren got some yogurt bites and baby cookies in his basket. Yum!

This has been the look on Warren's face quite a bit lately as he takes those first few thrilling steps and then quickly plops down to crawl. He's starting to walk more than crawl, though!

Warren enjoyed being outside during the egg hunt, but he hated the feel of grass so he was trapped on the sidewalk. It doesn't look like he minded too much.

First Fishing

When nice weather hits, the kids (and by kids I mostly mean Barry) start getting the itch to go fishing. So on March 29th they went to Mountain Home Reservoir. They didn't catch anything for a long time until Quinton asked if he could say a prayer. He asked Heavenly Father to help them catch more fish. And his prayers were answered with four blue gill. They were very excited!

Around the House

I think the best kind of naps are the ones that occur mid-tantrum. Clara fell asleep one day right after a bath. She was wailing about something and when I went to check on her she had fallen asleep on the floor still wrapped in her towel. Turns out she was a little sick, but also very cute.

Either Warren is a little vain or he just thinks that other baby in the mirror is cute enough to eat. 

Here he is at 10 months old, right when he was taking his first steps.

Quinton and Clara thought Warren looked hilarious in the bunny ears we found in the Easter box.

Warren likes to take care of his teeth. All six of them! 

Barry started dragging Warren around on a blanket one day. He loved it!

This little goofball loves sticking things (particularly dirty socks) in his mouth when he's crawling around. He looks like a little puppy.

Quinton tells me that he sometimes "falls in" to Warren's crib. He just can't stay away from his little brother.

Family Pictures