Utah, Spring 2013

Travels
- This was Kendall's first road trip, and she did SO great (6.5 months old)
- Left at 2p and arrived at 12:30am (normal route - through Kanab)
- On the way home we drove through Vegas and stopped at a splash pad / playground there since we were driving all day instead of half the night.  The ride home always feels much longer, but the kids did really good.  I think it took us about 12 hours.
- We were there May 7-19, and Brandon flew back and forth so he could spend the work week in Phoenix.  He flew back the next weekend to drive us home (flight=basically the same cost as a hotel, which is what I would have need if I drove the kids by myself).
- Ironic that Brock and Nicole were down in Arizona for a work conference while we were in Utah - we were so bummed we couldn't hang with them.  Lame!

Utah Doctor
- Two doctor visits - good thing we have a doctor's office up there that we regularly visit.  :)
- One was for Rachel, who was up all of one night with croup, but it wasn't bad enough to take her to the hospital, so we waited it out until morning and then took her in and got the steroid.  In Arizona, we have this middle-of-the-night pediatric urgent care that is the best for things like croup, but we couldn't find anything similar while we were in Utah.  Brandon gets the credit for staying up with Rachel that night.
- Andrew started coughing at night, but it sounded like an ear infection cough.  I took him in to get him checked, but his ears looked fine.  He probably caught the croup from Rachel, but his body just handles it so much better.  I got a steroid for him as well, but we never needed to use it.
- I left Utah with some sort of cold, but all of this is expected when we take a trip.

Grandma's House
- Fun at Provo Beach Resort with Grandma & daddy
- Pedicures for Mother's Day with Nancy & Kacie (we missed Rachel Murray who wasn't feeling up for it - 9 months pregnant and stressed with trying to rent out their house for the summer)
- The boys all went golfing one afternoon
- Cousin party with bounce house and hot tub (Rachel Faye had to miss because we didn't want to get the other kids sick, so she spent the day with Nana)
- Kendall loves the grass, and if you put her on her tummy, she licks it
- Rachel celebrated Allie's 5th birthday with Brynn & Kennedy, and now she wants an identical party (rainbow) for her 5th birthday just a couple weeks away!  When we were dropping her off, I stayed to feed Kendall a quick bottle and visit for a minute with the adults.  Rachel said in a very annoyed voice, "Mom, can you please leave?  The other moms aren't here." (like we were embarrassing or something)  This was a first for me!  Geez!
- Andrew reminding daddy all week, "You the best daddy EVER!"  He says it to Brandon more than he tells me that 'I'm the best mom ever'.  Food for thought. :)
- I get my haircut in Utah every 6 months or so, and my stylist always straightens it for me (the only time anyone sees it straight).  Andrew was distraught seeing my hair straightened last time, and he was again this time.  He told me he didn't like it.  When we asked him what was wrong, he told us that "Mommy's hair is angry."  It was a funny way to describe what he was seeing.

Nana's House
- Family Pictures a success!  (Other than Rachel feeling like junk, but she did great)
- Rachel told Nana she needed to get more/better grandkid toys and also that her couch smelt like dog.  They really do love it there, I promise!  So how do you teach an almost 5 year old to not be completely truthful all the time?  :)
- My mom took Andrew and Rachel to the nursery to get all her flowers for her yard.  Andrew came back with no shorts, no shoes and muddy feet (and apparently she took him into Costco like that).  When I asked if they had fun with Nana, Rachel said, "Yeah, totally!"
- The kids ate all of papa's gum (I wonder how many pieces Andrew swallowed?)
- Trip to Thanksgiving Point to see all the animals.  Rachel got her face painted like a piggy.
- Nana kept busy with lots of planting after Cade left on his mission.
- Mom & Dad become empty nesters with Cade leaving on his mission and Kyle getting married all in the same week!  Woa!
- We all watched Chad & Cindy's wedding video and it was a riot!  The wedding video captures what a disaster it was to leave all the children in charge of cooking the food for the luncheon (Kyle was the head chef) and an attempted description at what burned fettucine alfredo really smells like.

Wedding
- Bishop Rife from my parent's old ward performed the sealing.  He lost his sweetheart six months ago to Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), which was so tragic - she is the most incredible mother and gave so much service to others.  Bishop Rife is amazing, and said some beautiful things to Kyle & Katherine.  He also cracked some hilarious jokes, and once even said, "That was awkward" when they went in for a hug/kiss but sort of missed and then quickly recovered.
- Waiting outside the temple has to be one of the worst wedding logistics - it just takes forever.  Dad came out and said, "They are almost done with their session."  ha ha  Then Kyle Wilson made her grand entrance while we all had our cameras ready and waiting.  I guess that Katherine had to fix up her hair and re-do her curls.  They both looked beautiful coming out of the temple, and they seemed so happy.
- My cousin Katelynn & Aunt Sherri came from Australia for all the events.  Their cousin, Kristel Dumbrell, who's a good friend to our family was also in the states and was able to come.
- Sorry to complain, but there was SO much set up and take down to do, not to mention all the flowers and the food prep that happened the day before.  The luncheon and mom's part of the reception was definitely an "Elaine Parker Event"; she goes all out and it was beautiful.  It's just so much work.  Brandon and I were discussing the cost/benefit of a wedding, and we think it's mostly for show and doesn't make very good economic sense.  I don't have any brilliant solutions yet, but we have a few years to figure it out.  :)
- We arrived at the reception in all of our wedding attire at 5:30 for pictures.  While we were waiting we helped finish setting up and visited with family.  Apparently Katherine was curling her hair (again), and her and Kyle came out when guests were already arriving for the reception.  So there weren't any wedding party pictures taken.  And why I chose to be stressed out about this is beyond me?!  I was pacing like crazy, and freaking out that there weren't any pictures taken.
- Nancy and Val came and then took the kids to take them home and put them in bed for us - so nice!
- Cade just a few days before leaving to the MTC got hit on at the reception by one of Katherine's bridesmaids - so uncomfortably hilarious.
- Brandon and Chad left to go get some items to decorate their car.  They decided on a "Cowboys & Indians" theme, which included a cowboy hat and headdress on their seats and they wrote on a window, "Cowboys and Indians tonight!"  Oh dear me.  They also put the A/C on full power, then filled the vents with confetti so it flew at them when they started the car.  Of course there were handcuffs, and the best was when I had to explain to Grandpa Thompson about the handcuffs and why they were hanging from the steering wheel.  They also included two goldfish in a bag for them to take with them on their honeymoon, representative of their relationship or something like that according to Brandon?  Katherine handed them off to her sister-in-law, who happened to work at a pet store, and she was offended that someone had done this as a joke.  She needed to find them a home fast!  For the next week, we got all the goldfish updates and apparently one of them a clamped fin and the other had ICK (?) and according to Katherine's sister-in-law, they needed antibiotics asap and she needed to come get them from her.  They both died while they were on their honeymoon.  Brandon was so pleased with the whole thing (not with them dying, but with all the drama they caused).
- At the reception, I got Logan to smile in some pictures, which is a huge accomplishment!!
- Kyle & Katherine are good sports and came back for the farewell and some family events even while they were still on their honeymoon.

Missionary
- Cade's farewell talk was so good - he seemed so ready and seriously knocked it out of the park!
- He is such a good kid and an awesome uncle to my kids.  We are going to miss him SO SO much!
- Oops!  At the farewell party, mom and I didn't recognize his first little girlfriend from high school, and we both said dumb things to her not realizing who she was.  But we were nice to Aubrey, who's Cade's best friend and such a darling girl!
- Packing didn't start until the day before the MTC, so it was kind of a disaster and they were packing up until the last minute.  In addition to the packing, he realized that he hadn't done the online traffic school he was supposed to, so we were all taking turns answering questions, and mom finished the last hour for him after he left.  It was a little crazy, and made me all stressed out.
- Pizza Pie Cafe for dinner with the Parker family, Kneaders for breakfast, and the Creamery after the MTC drop off - usually my kids don't get to go to restaurants this often!
- We hurried over to the MTC to drop him off and said goodbye in the parking lot across the street.  A missionary host was waiting for him, and it was a good friend from his ward who had gotten to the MTC a few weeks earlier.  We've already heard from him and he is loving the MTC and we know he'll be a great missionary in the Xalapa, Mexico Mission!

Baby Ellie
- After measuring small at her 38 week appointment, my sister-in-law, Rachel, went in for a c-section on May 16, and delivered a beautiful, baby girl - Ellie Jane Murray - 5 lb 10 oz & 16 inches long.
- We were so excited to be there and to have a new niece!  Ellie & Kendall will only be 6.5 months apart - they will be great friends!
- The umbilical cord was extremely small (just bigger than a pencil) and she was given the diagnosis of IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction) and was admitted to the NICU.
- She was put on a CPAP for periods of apnea and given an IV for fluids and put on oxygen all in the first day.  After lots of testing, on/off oxygen, learning to eat, lots of concerns, lots of prayers, and patience, she was finally released from the NICU at 6 days old and sent home with oxygen and an apnea monitor.  It has been quite the roller-coaster for Rachel and Scott!
- She's 2 weeks now and they are still trying to get her weight up and hopefully she will be weaned off the oxygen in a few weeks.  They could use more prayers!  (Rachel, I hope you don't mind me sharing this.  We love Ellie so much and wish we could be there to help more!  We think you're amazing!)

Some funny moments!  Kyle & Krissy stepping in for my mom in the line while she took a break and the girl after Cade asking him to dance at the wedding.

All 3 kids fell asleep in the car on the way to the reception - it was a long day!

Teeny baby Ellie in the hospital / Murray family of six! / Ellie home from the hospital

Piggie face at Thanksgiving Point

On a walk with Nana's dog, Zoe

Grandma Parker & Kendall