Happy Birthday E!

Today is E's 2nd birthday. Time is FLYING by. There will be more pictures of his party this weekend, but I had to share these sweet pictures captured by Tina Farmer.

E has brought so much joy to our family, and to others. He has the most amazing group of people who love him so much. We are so blessed!

Newborn

1st Birthday

2nd birthday

Birthday Week

This time of year is BUSY. At school we're wrapping up and getting ready for testing. E and I both have birthdays in the same week. The week before my birthday, I found out that I have gestational diabetes. This was a big disappointment for me, because I've been trying harder to be healthy this pregnancy. I went to a class and got an early birthday present - my new test kit!

I'm making adjustments and learning as I go, but it's frustrating. I've had two migraines since starting this process, and it's been a few years since I had one of those. I'm more tired than ever, with more to do. The extra doctor appointments are making school a nightmare. I'm so grateful for the friends and family who are helping me through this. I realize that my problems are small compared to others, but it's the kind words, phone calls, cards, and encouragement that make things better.

I had a wonderful quiet birthday on Sunday, with a nice long nap and a delicious steak dinner thanks to Cam. He even baked my cake! Thanks to the class I went to, I learned how to plan ahead so I could enjoy a piece of cake. Now I'm getting ready for E's big birthday party.

Family pictures

This was quite the experience to get the whole family in for a picture. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would though, and I think it turned out pretty cute considering how hard it is to get that many kids to look and smile!

Spring Break Vacation 6

Friday was a fun day with a picnic at the park. The whole family invaded Castle Park, and we had a blast. Again, E was all worn out. We're playing HARD on this trip!

That night, we had a surprise dinner to celebrate Grandma's retirement. It was a dinner without kids, and it was fun to have a quiet evening with just the adults. I don't have any pictures from the rest of the trip (actually, I have a ton, but I'm trying to limit how many posts I make!) We had family pictures and dinner on Friday, so sometime I'll have those to post. Saturday was just filled with conference, packing, and saying goodbye.

One more picture - a random shot of E playing.  It's my favorite. I love his grin!

Spring Break Vacation 5

The next day was filled with visits to my aunt and grandparents. Cam took E to the Hill Air Force Base Museum to see planes and helicopters. I don't have pictures since I wasn't there, but Cam's dad took some that I'll get later. 

We ended the day by making Peeps smores. They were SO good! 

The next morning, we had more visits to make. We drove down to see Cam's grandparents. I loved the view as we drove - the snow covered mountain hidden behind low clouds. It was a beautiful day outside.

When we got there, grandma was playing the organ so E had to take a turn too.

An updated 4 generation photo.

E thought grandpa's wheelchair was just about the coolest thing ever. He followed just a few steps behind him the whole time we were outside.

On the way home, we stopped at one of Cam's restaurants - In N Out. I love when I capture E's little funny expressions!

Spring Break Vacation 4

We'll call this day TRAIN DAY! Cam's sister planned an awesome - and almost entirely free - train day for E. I have never seen him do his happy dance so much in one day!

We started by parking at a shopping center that's by the old train station. We ran in to Old Navy, and I found an adorable train shirt - perfect souvenir for the day!

Then we ran into Barnes & Noble, where he got to play in the train corner.

After some coaxing, we got him to leave and caught Trax - the local transit train. He loved it! He even put his arms up like it was a ride!

Downtown SLC is in the free zone, and we rode a few stops to another shopping center called City Creek. It's really neat, and there's a little creek with fish that runs through it. 

 There is a glass walkway that goes over the street below, so we had to stop and watch for trains!

Both shopping centers are outdoors, so the kids had fun playing in the fountains. Then we all shared some caramel apples and rode Trax back to Gateway.

We walked through the old train station, and E immediately spotted the neat stained glass trains. 

 Of course we had to hit up the fountain at Gateway too. E had a blast running around with his cousins in the water.

He crashed on the way home - shocking, I know! It was the perfect day.

Spring Break Vacation 3

Easter Sunday was a nice quiet day. We went to church with Grandma and Grandpa, and then went up to see my grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins. He had a blast running around outside, especially with my cousin's dogs. He was really missing Nick and Gracie! He also got to go on a ride in the convertible, which he thought was pretty cool (daddy got to drive, which HE thought was pretty cool).