Texas Trip with my boyfriend

This week is flying by. I got home from Texas late Monday night. Lance and the boys were there to greet us. It was so great to kiss their little faces.

The morning I left, I followed the kids out to the bus stop to say one last good-bye.

Here is a recap of our week in Texas:

Love this darling shirt my neighbor Leslie bought for Sam.

We left Wednesday morning. Our flight to Texas was a little over 2 hours.  We sat next to a super nice lady who was very talkative and friendly (she had some very entertaining stories). Sam actually got his own seat which was nice to give my arms a rest every once in a while. He fell asleep for a while but then I ended up bouncing him in the back of the plane trying to get him to sleep.  He was happy with me holding him. I loved all the sounds.

It was so wonderful to have my sister and mother pick me up from the airport. We were all so excited to be together. We must have talked a mile a minute on the way home as we started talking about our plans for the week. It didn't matter what we did, we just wanted to be together.

Ambyr, Cohen and Avery came up Thursday morning to play with us. Loved getting to be with these guys. Cohen was not feeling 100%. He was not sure what to think about Sam.

 My niece, Avery had no problem getting to know Sam. I think she may like babies. She was so sweet and cute with Sam. Just look at her. I wanted to pinch her sweetness.

Sam was so good on this trip. He took lots of naps and let us cuddle him most any time. I loved sitting by the fire and rocking him. Amazing how simple it feels to have just one baby at a time.  Sam and I really enjoyed this peaceful get away.

My sister LeAnn, is starting a blog. She is pretty amazing when it comes to crafty cute ideas. She has a million ideas swarming around in her head at ALL TIMES.  She is super excited to start sharing them with the world. Party City recently contacted her about using their material to make her creations. What an awesome opportunity! While I was in town we worked on her first Party City post for her blog. We did lots of decorating and then took pictures. We were pooped after several hours but I am so glad I got to be there to be a part of it.  Check out her blog, crafty2thecore  It is super cute. She is just getting started so there will be more soon.

The Friday I was there the weather was gorgeous. Can you say 73 degrees?! I needed that dose of warmth almost as much as visiting my family. I loved sitting outside basking in it. We went out to the land my family owns and let the bigger kids run around. It did start to get a little chilly as the sun went down so we made a fire. I was so proud of Sam for falling asleep in the baby Bjorn. He was so easy going like that on this trip. Bless him!

Sitting out on my parent's patio enjoying the warm weather.

Nephews Houston and Carson- TROUBLE!

 It started to get a little chilly so we all headed back to my parent's home to visit a little more.

Watching a movie together.

Playing with Sam

One of the neatest days for me was Saturday. My parents have worked (volunteered) in the Dallas Temple every Saturday morning for over 10 years. When I am in town my sister and I usually try to go while my parents are there. I cherish these times. My nephew Connor was willing to go and watch Sam as he mainly slept in the car. I was so grateful for  Connor. He was a trooper.

The older I get and more chaotic life becomes, the more I love to visit the temple.  The more I appreciate the peace that only it can bring to my soul. The more I appreciate the simple teachings taught there. They re-direction me and remind me of my purpose of this earth life.  When I am struggling with something or someone, the temple is a place I can go to think clearly without any interruptions from the world.  I feel so much love from Heavenly Father when I am there. It makes me want to be as obedient as I can be and work as hard as I need to to get back home to Him.

For those of you that have never been in an LDS temple, it is the closest place to heaven on earth. I know many people think we are secretive and sneaky when it comes to the temple. Really, it is because our temples are so sacred to us as members.  They are a haven from the world and all our earthly concerns (which sometimes seem unbearable).

Besides getting to be there with my parents and sister, I had a sweet experience Saturday. The kind of experience that you know you will never forget because it pierced your insides.

To see video from inside and learn more about LDS temples go HERE and HERE.


Sunday was the Super Bowl which gave us a good excuse to get together. My parents were so kind to open their home to my entire family (50+).  It was a full house for sure but I LOVED getting to see everyone while I was in town. It sure is convenient that most everyone lives there so I can see them all when I visit. All those familiar faces just make me so happy. I love each one of them so much.

 

  

 When the families all get together the girls have a tradition of playing "Wacky Six". It is absolutely crazy. And let me say that these girls are competitive. Elbows are being thrown, words and threats are being screamed out. It is a blast. They are all very good! I loved getting to sit in and make a fool of myself. They are all in a different league.

 All the kiddos were super friendly to Sam. They loved showing him all of Grandma's toys. He was never bored. My niece Alli, carried him around for most of the night.

Monday afternoon came and it was time to head back home.

We had a little hiccup getting to the airport and I nearly missed my flight. Other than that, the flight home was a breeze. Sam literally slept the whole flight home. He wins the best baby award for our trip to Texas.

4 months is the perfect age to travel with a baby.

 I am so thankful for this visit. I needed to be with my family, even if it was super short. So many great memories made, as usual. The kids and I are already planning a trip back in March for our Spring Break.

My husband and kids are so great for supporting me so I could take the trip. I love them!

I was so excited to see the boys there to pick us up Monday night.

 When we arrived at the house Sam was attacked. There were 5 kiddos that missed him dearly.  I waited my turn and eventually got a hug from everyone. How can I compete with Sam?