Act 5; Scene 1: The Start of Year Five

Hip Hip Hooray!

It's been 4 years.

I just read last year's anniversary post, and I had mentioned that it felt for sure more like 10 years. Funny, because I feel the same way today. Four just isn't a big enough number for all the love, life, experience, and goals we have shared together. In fact, today Robert told me he felt like we waited for a while before we started having kids. But then...we are already expecting #2 and we have only been married four years...funny how time is deceiving :-).

Here are some highlights from our fourth year as a family:

A trip to Virginia for Katie's wedding:

We bought a pass to Thanksgiving Point (best thing ever!):

Museum of Ancient Life

The farm

Children's Gardens

Digging for dinosaur bones at the Museum

First Center Family Thanksgiving and Christmas for Thomas (in St. George!):

A successful vacation after two rather unsuccessful ones last year:

A new baby on the way:

 

A Southern Utah trip with cousins:

A birthday party:

And a camping trip:

What an awesome year.  We love our life together as a family. We're so grateful we have the opportunity to have it last for eternity. Bring it on!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Act 4; Scene 48: Tommy's Picture Tour of Bear Lake Camping

Lately, Thomas has become obsessed with the camera. He is entertained by taking pictures for HOURS. I let him have the camera for a while when we were starting to pack up camp, and this is what he came up with:

Tommy's Picture Tour:

He obviously really likes feet :-)

Happy Sunday.

Act 4; Scene 47: Our Trip to Bear Lake

My family has a tradition of going to Bear Lake every summer.

We have done this as long as I can remember, and it was the highlight of our summers as kids.

It has been two years since we've been (having a baby in the summer will do things like that to you...or at least to me) and we finally decided to brave the storm of camping with a toddler and GO!

Sadly, we took very few pictures at the actual lake because we were having so much fun. So we'll just sum up some of the highlights:

• Tinfoil dinners and s'mores with roasted marshmallows

  

  savoring one of his favorite treats with one of his favorite people

  
  • Waking up my mom to accompany me on a 3 am bathroom run (thanks, Mom!)
  • Hot chocolate in the cold, mountain mornings
  • Long day at the beach
  • Trying out a paddle board, canoe, and wave runners
  • Thomas taking an hour and a half nap on Uncle Sam's and my lap

  

  He did, in fact, choose to sleep in that position

  • Hot dogs over the fire (nothing like it!)
  • Trying out grasshopper s'mores (marshmallow between two grasshopper cookies. Genius!)
  • Blue Springs

    

    Some good looking guys!

    

    Poor Thomas was so excited for a hike, then fell asleep in the car and stayed asleep the whole time!

    
    

    

    Beautiful, clear water!

    
  •  Quality time with family
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
      
    
    
    • Throwing rocks in the creek
      
      • Car snacks!
        

      • And generally, having a grand time

      
      One of the funniest things that happened on our little trip was Robert telling Thomas that there is a bear that comes out at night to make sure you're in your bed--so be sure to be asleep in your bed when he wakes up at dark. He just said something like that casually, but boy did Tommy cling to it! He would raise his eyebrows up as high as they would go, look at us earnestly, and say over and over, "Bear come!" and "Hurry!" and "Bear awake now!" When we went on walks through the camp ground, he would point out into the woods and tell us where the bear lived. Once, on a trek back from the bathroom, we heard a crash in the bush that startled us both--he grabbed my hand and started running, "Bear come! Hurry!" Then he would make sure to tell us that the bear was a "nice bear."  Since he never cried or acted too scared of the bear (it didn't prevent him from wanting to walk around the camp or sleep through the night--actually I think he was more interested in seeing it), we found it pretty hilarious how he clung onto that one idea Robert brought up. And it came in handy in getting him into bed :-) [Don't worry-we didn't overemphasize the point or tell him scary things about said bear, only that he came out at night]. Just seeing those little eyebrows raised as he genuinely and enthusiastically told us "Bear wake now!" was so dang cute. 
      
      And now we're home--squeaky clean (feels great!) and completely exhausted (try sleeping in a tent all on the same air mattress with a sprawling 2 year old, all the while having to pee--perks of pregnancy. Yeah.) And it sounds like our laundry has just finished, so it's off to bed!
      
      Hope you all had a great weekend, too!