Idaho getaway

Jared has been doing a lot of traveling and scout camp stuff so the kids and I were lucky enough to spend the two weeks up in Idaho with my mom and dad while he was doing all of his running around. It was so much fun! I wish we could just go stay up there every time Jared is out of town.
The first three days were full of laughs as my mom and me built a new swing set for the kids. Yes, it took us three FULL days!!! We had a lot of "help" from the kids, which is part of reason it took so long. But it was fun and the kids loved it! I wish I had a picture of the finished swingset, I think we did a pretty good job. :) It was a lot of fun to have some one-on-one time with my mom. I miss her!
The rest of the trip was full of relaxing, boating, whitewater rafting, games, and lots of rain. My aunt and uncle and their kids came up for the weekend of the 4th but it rained so much we didn't get to do much, but it was still fun to see them.

TJ on the boat

The kids and me on the tube. Rees really wanted to get on until we started moving, then she wasn't so sure she liked it.

Dad on the wakeboard!

Emma and TJ got really cold and tired but Rees was still loving every minute of it. She was so cute whenever anyone fell on the wakeboard she would ask "you ok?" over and over and over. She is getting so big!

Giving kisses :)

My tired boy

TJ playing games

Me, Nancy, and Heather watching games

Enjoying the weather....

before the storm Emma, Sam, and Lexi (my cousin's girls). These three girls had so much fun together! I didn't hardly see Emma the whole time they were around. She was so happy to have some friends to play with, it was so cute.

Emma with her sparklers. Poor TJ was so tired he went to bed early and missed out on all the fireworks.

I did it!

For a while now I've wanted to run a marathon but never thought I'd actually do it. I've never been much of a runner but I pulled it off and ran my first marathon on Saturday! It started out that Jared, his sister, Elise, and I would run it together but Jared and Elise ended up with injuries and couldn't run. I think they were both pretty bummed they couldn't run it with me...instead Jared got to drive me to provo at 3:30 in the morning and hang out all day waiting for me to cross the finish line. Fun!!!Running at around mile 17. I wasn't expecting to see Jared until about mile 21 so I was suprised and happy :).

Running into the finish line. Jared and my mom and dad were there waiting with the kids. Chris and Nancy and Jared's brother Nate and his wife Anna were on their way but I was faster than I thought I would be and finished before they got there. Emma is always wanting to go running with me and never gets to, so she along with TJ ran the last little bit of the race and crossed the finish line with me. I loved it!!!

The family at the finish line. My finishing time for the 26.2 miles was 3 hours 56 minutes. Jared took more pictures throughout the race but unfortunately he is not much of a photographer and they all turned out blurry :) just kidding, we really just need a new camera. I think I am hooked and hope to run more, but right now I am looking forward to just being able to walk normal again...I am sooo sore!

Fathers & Sons

TJ got to go on his first Fathers and Sons campout this last weekend. It is so fun to see him growing up and having fun with his Dad! Jared said he had a blast, he kept saying, "This is so freakin' fun!" :) Cute TJ. I am used to having Jared gone but it was really weird to have my little guy gone for the night. I missed him and kept thinking I was forgetting him somewhere. I'm glad he got to have a good time camping and look forward to see him get older and be able to do more fun things like this.Getting ready to leave, all prepared with his sleeping bag backpack

T and Daddy

Throwing rocks in the stream. This is one of his very favorite things to do.

Holding a snake. This is progress, we found a snake in our yard a while ago and he would have nothing to do with it.

TJ and Jared by their tent

Cute little booger

He went on and on about the campfire. He loved it!

I love this boy!

While the boys were gone I told Emma the girls could go out and do something fun. We called Jared's sister, Elise, to come along and left Rees with uncle Mike while we went to the salon to get our nails done. On the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen for some dinner and ice cream. Emma keeps telling people she got a "dolly pop". For some reason she can't remember what her dilly bar was called. :)

Emma loved the little "jewel" they put in the middle of her little flowers on her fingernails. Rees kept looking at my toes saying "cuuute". Then she decided they looked tasty and kept trying to lick them. Gross, but funny.

Emma was pretty bummed she didn't get to camp out with the guys so we put Rees to bed and put up the kid's little play tent and had our own little campout in the living room. It was so much fun to spend some time with my Emma, she is such a cute funny little girl. I look forward to many more girls nights with her and can't wait until Rees is old enough to come along.

Baby Conner

My sister Annie and her husband, Jeff added a cute little boy to their family of girls today!!! They named him Conner Ladel Byington. He is a long skinny boy at 5lb. 15 oz. and 20 inches long. How fun for them to have their first little boy!

No pictures of the little guy yet but here is my mom and Annie, getting organized and ready for the baby.

Me and Annie's youngest girl, Paige. She is adorable. I wish I had a picture of Jade, these two girls have the biggest blue eyes you will ever see...so cute!

Random catching up

Jared and I got to spend Easter in Idaho with my parents this year. The kids were super excited and a little worried the Easter Bunny wouldn't find them but we had a lot of fun. Here are just a few of the tons of pictures I took.

Cute TJ dying easter eggs. I think he did all of his yellow

Emma and TJ. Emma is showing off her egg.

Just relaxing in the hammock

On our way home from Big Judd's. I love that place, they have the best burgers and fries ever!

Me and Mom

Grandpa Hulse tickling TJ. He was going around to everyone asking them to tickle him. Silly boy.

Emma and Grandma Hulse. My grandma has a collection of Care Bears that is pretty impressive and Emma absolutely loves it!!!

TJ playin' ball. He was doing awesome!

Rees and Grandpa. She was helping to pitch the ball and would run like crazy to get it when TJ hit it.

Emma and Rees playing outside. Notice Emma's little patch of hair she decided to cut herself...nice.

I love this picture

A few weeks ago Annie and I loaded up and drove to Riverton to help Nancy plant some flowers in her yard. We didn't think to bring shovels and Nancy couldn't find hers so we ended up using kitchen spoons, which we got a good laugh out of. It was a lot of fun to spend some time with the girls and the kids had a blast!

Nancy and Annie are both getting pretty far along in their pregnancies and it was funny to see them trying to bend over and dig with their spoons :)

Nancy got out the hose to spray the flowers and the kids decided to have some fun in the water. Rees was hilarious, she loved it! Here is Emma trying to take her spoon.

And getting a drink. This went on for a couple of minutes, every time she went in to get a drink she ended up getting her whole head drenched.

Some of the kids running through the water

Rees and Paige. Their clothes were soaked so they rode home naked. Cute cousins!

Moab

This is long over due but a few weeks ago Jared and I spent the weekend in Moab with my parents and Chris and Nancy. The plan was for Jared, Chris and me to run in the Canyonlands half marathon but Nancy had to go and ruin it :). We got a call from Chris the morning of the race telling us pregnant Nancy was in the hospital with kidney stones. Ouch!!! So Chris missed out but Jared and I ran and had a lot of fun. We spent the rest of the trip hiking and sight seeing. It was my first time to Moab and I loved it! I am hoping it becomes a tradition. Jared and me after the race

Dead Horse Point

Nancy and me, it was freezing!

On a little hike

This is me and my niece, Livvy at lunch. She is hilarious. She was playing with my camera and kept taking random pictures of people walking by. We got a couple good ones of our waitress too. She definitely kept us entertained.

Jare Bear :) He didn't know I was taking this picture. Doesn't he look happy?

Chris, Nancy and my mom at the arch. It was super windy, I was afraid I was going to get blown off a cliff.

Jared and me under the arch