We're still recovering from our trip to Utah. It's strange that even if it's somewhere you want to go, with people you want to see, trips are stressful and exhausting. Especially with five kids in tow.
On the way there, we were stuck in a huge traffic jam for three hours in Denver, Colorado. Toby had been asleep next to Ivy, until she peed on him, which is why he isn't wearing a shirt. I don't know why he's showing off his biceps, but it seems like he does it a lot.
Maybe he's shaking his fist at the cars blocking our way to Utah. I don't remember. I DO remember that Olivia stayed awake and talked the whole night. We are both masochists and cheap, so we try to drive straight through. I've personally been training for the last eleven years to handle sleeplessness.
The kids were all mostly happy to see each other. Maggie and Brynn are the best of little girly-princess friends about 95 percent of the time. Ivy and Todd, are best of hooligan-mayhem friends 50 percent of the time. Hollis and Olivia did a lot of packing Lochlan around while Toby and I tried to work.
We haven't seen Dana and Josh and Corinne for WAAAY too long. Late one night, we ran out to an all-night grocery store and giggled like teenagers while we all bought snacks. Back at Michelle's, we watched a Rifftrax short called "Shake Hands With Danger." Oh, good times. Corinne, I'll be your kitchen wing-man any day.
Ivy modeled the latest in fashionable shark headwear.
We made a required trip to IKEA. I had to get a picture of the fake buttocks assaulting a chair repeatedly to prove how durable it is. The chair, I mean.
We visited Temple Square with Michelle and Tyler and all our collective kids. I tried hard to feel the spirit and not just to notice the mullets and stonewashed jeans in the old-school church videos. All joking aside, it is a beautiful place.
We even managed to make it home with our little camera, in spite of the fact that Todd found it and used it.
And, shortly following our return, this little guy turned one. Happy Birthday to Loch.
