We've been in Texas all week visiting my Dad and Step-Mom Michelle, and we're actually still here, but this is our last night. The boys are gone to bed and I put all of my pictures on my Dad's computer, so I figured it would be a great opportunity to start blogging about our fun trip. We are all going to be sad to leave tomorrow morning...it has been a great vacation. We've done a little bit of everything and I can say honestly that it has been a trip where it has really felt like a vacation...not one of those where you get home and feel like you need another vacation. 
We've done a ton of fun stuff, but also had lots of time to just hang out at Grandpa and Grandma's house relaxing. Anytime I don't have to keep up with dishes, laundry and cleaning is a real vacation to me... and I even started and FINISHED a whole book! 
That night after we got here, we just hung out and had dinner and Ashton finally got to play Grandpa & Grandma's Wii. 
The whole week before we came, that was all he could talk about...he would get so excited that he told me "My belly feels funny, I'm so excited to go to Texas and play Grandpa's Wii and go to the beach." I thought it was so cute that he was getting butterflies in his belly!
We've done a ton of fun stuff, but also had lots of time to just hang out at Grandpa and Grandma's house relaxing. Anytime I don't have to keep up with dishes, laundry and cleaning is a real vacation to me... and I even started and FINISHED a whole book! The hot weather (it got up to 96 today!) has actually been a welcome change from the mostly windy, rainy, cold spring we've had in Cache Valley. Yes it has been really HOT, but we've done lots of water stuff to cool down,
and come on-when you come to Texas you expect it to be hot!
We flew out last Saturday morning and everything went really smoothly.
Here are the boys waiting to board the plane...
It's a 3 hour flight, so I always worry about them staying entertained, but they both did SO well...I think Gunnar wasn't feeling 100%, so he was more mellow than his usual self and he mostly just sat back and relaxed, then fell asleep for about an hour of it.
Not long before bed the night before we were to leave, he started to feel really hot and ended up running a fever all night. I prayed and prayed that it wouldn't turn into anything pukey...we really didn't want to postpone our trip! He woke up feeling somewhat better, so we decided to go ahead with our plans and other than being more mellow...he acted like he felt great. He did end up running a fever off and on though the first 3 or 4 days that we were here, but that was pretty much his only symptom and he's back to normal now. He was so cute on the airplane (you know how he LOVES airplanes), before we took off, he just sat there with a big smile on his face saying over and over "Gunnar on a airplane, Gunnar on a airplane."
Then he and Ashton just giggled and giggled during the take-off. Ashton kept himself pretty busy playing his leapster and playdoh and drawing on his little white board.
It's a 3 hour flight, so I always worry about them staying entertained, but they both did SO well...I think Gunnar wasn't feeling 100%, so he was more mellow than his usual self and he mostly just sat back and relaxed, then fell asleep for about an hour of it. Not long before bed the night before we were to leave, he started to feel really hot and ended up running a fever all night. I prayed and prayed that it wouldn't turn into anything pukey...we really didn't want to postpone our trip! He woke up feeling somewhat better, so we decided to go ahead with our plans and other than being more mellow...he acted like he felt great. He did end up running a fever off and on though the first 3 or 4 days that we were here, but that was pretty much his only symptom and he's back to normal now. He was so cute on the airplane (you know how he LOVES airplanes), before we took off, he just sat there with a big smile on his face saying over and over "Gunnar on a airplane, Gunnar on a airplane." Then he and Ashton just giggled and giggled during the take-off. Ashton kept himself pretty busy playing his leapster and playdoh and drawing on his little white board. That night after we got here, we just hung out and had dinner and Ashton finally got to play Grandpa & Grandma's Wii. The whole week before we came, that was all he could talk about...he would get so excited that he told me "My belly feels funny, I'm so excited to go to Texas and play Grandpa's Wii and go to the beach." I thought it was so cute that he was getting butterflies in his belly!On Sunday we set up the little pool for them in the backyard and they had fun in it for hours. 
As well as running through the sprinklers. 
Water never gets old!
As well as running through the sprinklers. Water never gets old!They were excited when we saw this little lizard running across the fence, it took off when Grandpa tried to catch it. 
We spent most of that day just hanging out at the house, playing in the pool and playing the Wii.
Gunnar loved helping Grandpa feed the fish...
...and he and Ashton both LOVED Paisley, their little dog.
You all know how much I love dogs (haha!) and I guess my "love" for dogs has rubbed off on Ashton-actually up until we got here, especially the past couple weeks, he has been terrified of ALL dogs-he won't even go outside if he hears one! So I have to say it has been a positive experience for he and Gunnar to be around a nice little dog. They have both been so sweet and gentle with her. At one point Ashton came up to me and asked me (in a sweet little pleading voice that might get some parents to give in :) "Mommy do you think that we could maybe get a nice little dog like Paisley for our house?" To which I nicely, but firmly, replied "No, you can come visit Paisley again." Then he even said a little later "But I love Paisley...even more than Grandpa's Wii!!!" Anyway Paisley is a nice little dog and it's been cute to see the boys with her.
...and he and Ashton both LOVED Paisley, their little dog. You all know how much I love dogs (haha!) and I guess my "love" for dogs has rubbed off on Ashton-actually up until we got here, especially the past couple weeks, he has been terrified of ALL dogs-he won't even go outside if he hears one! So I have to say it has been a positive experience for he and Gunnar to be around a nice little dog. They have both been so sweet and gentle with her. At one point Ashton came up to me and asked me (in a sweet little pleading voice that might get some parents to give in :) "Mommy do you think that we could maybe get a nice little dog like Paisley for our house?" To which I nicely, but firmly, replied "No, you can come visit Paisley again." Then he even said a little later "But I love Paisley...even more than Grandpa's Wii!!!" Anyway Paisley is a nice little dog and it's been cute to see the boys with her. The END!
That's all for now...it's getting late and we have our trip home tomorrow. Never as fun as the going trip when you're excited for vacation.
Ashton has been asking if we can just move here.
He's not looking forward to tomorrow.
I'll have to finish this when we get home.
(After all of the dreaded unpacking and endless laundry...)
Can't I just keep him this age and this size forever???
So that alone would have been enough, but they also brought me breakfast in bed and these cute cards. 
(and he will love that I posted a picture of it!)
Every time I open it I hear Ashton's cute little voice saying-
I was a little (okay a lot) sad because they were all out of fish tacos!!! But I sucked it up and got a salad instead. Anyway, then we went home and put Gunnar down for a nap and I took off and went shopping by myself all afternoon while Lars put up the new tent on the lawn for the boys to play in. When I finally got home Lars made chicken parmigian for dinner.
