April 2017 Birthday party at Nana's and our first airplane ride. A short notice happy birthday to Grandma Workman

We were able to spend a few more days in Utah County after the wedding.
We went to visit Aunt Tracy and ran into Rachel.

The twins and Ruth learned to get along after a weekend together, hopefully they'll still like each other next time.

Adi was a little second mom every chance she had with the kids.  Really cute.

The kids had their Nana birthday party. Jeanette made them smash cakes. Tres Leches with strawberries and blueberries.

Sugar coma!

Saying goodbye 4/3/17. Wiggles and screams from Hannah and big smiles from Finley.  Par for the course.

We stopped at a park in Price for lunch and wiggles.

They love swinging.

Melissa's Aunt Mary brought her boys down for a couple days in the country. We went to Recapture Pockets to ride and enjoy the sun. 

The boys either hadn't ridden or had only ridden once before. Mary wanted them to learn though.  She particularly thought it'd be good for Dan as he was going to get his driver's license soon.

Matt was most excited of all, he enjoyed learning both the Rhino and 4 wheeler.

Mary even got out for a few laps.

Hannah had fun rock climbing/eating.

Family is always fun.

Our kids love the ATVs, they always get excited seeing them in the shop and any time they get to ride.

After several hours in the sun riding Mary and Melissa put the kids to bed and rested at home.  I took the boys to the shooting range. Jay shooting the SKS.

Dan with the SKS.

Matt shooting Melissa's .22 revolver. 

They all enjoyed the outing and were brave enough to try all the guns several times.

The next day we went to Nations of the 4 Corners Dwellings for close to home fun. It was great to have Mary and her boys to visit.  It is always fun to have family come to visit, it helps get us out to enjoy our area.

Easter egg decorating 4/14.  Melissa learned you can drop food coloring in dry rice, then shake the eggs around.

Some of them looked pretty cool.

We took them out for the Easter egg hunt on Saturday.  The kids weren't very good hunters.

With a little help, we found all of the eggs though.

Hannah got attacked by the Easter grass.

Easter Sunday they got to open their baskets. They each received a stuffed bunny from Grandma Jack.  Shirley and Don Jack have been wonderful, she has assumed the role as one of their Blanding Grandmas.  She watches them on our temple nights, bakes them cookies, always stops by for hugs and high fives at church, and often sat with Melissa during Relief Society to help with the kids. 

Good sale on honey at Clark's Market, good thing too.  Cause you don't want to dump expensive honey on your leg and floor.  I left a bag of honey next to the basement door to take to the storage room.  The kids found it.

Rebuilding the entrance to our shower. It had started growing large fungus blooms a few months earlier because it has a piece of wood under the tile soaking full of water.

 

Finley the explorer.

Mason and Kati had their third baby the day before we left on our trip.  I got to meet her at the end of my work day, then I went home and sent Melissa back to the hospital.

  

4/27/17 We woke up early, jumped in the van and hit the road.  We drove straight to the airport and got ready for the kids' first flight.

They actually did really well. We traded kids a couple times and they each slept about 45 minutes of the 2 hour flight.

Finley the socialite. Melissa and I were both lucky enough to have empty seats next to us, that was nice for the kids to have a little space to themselves for portions of the flight.

In Seattle, looking for Grandma Workman.

Grandma and Grandpa still had to work a couple of the days we were visiting, so we went to the Children's Museum of Tacoma  It was so much fun.  The kids were a little small to really appreciate everything, but they still had fun with some of the "exhibits."  Before the museum we stopped for lunch at a creperie.  The twins are really building an expansive palette. 

We spent a long time at the water tables. 

This was a vacuum tube for little foam balls.  I had fun!  I think the kids liked it, too.

4/29/17 we had a family outing to the park. 

 

Someone wanted to explore, not snuggle.

We went for family dinner at Aunt Shanda and Uncle Brian's.  It was raining that evening, so we had to stop for the kids' first Pacific Northwest Rain picture.

Piano lesson's with Grandma.

All the family in an assortment of slightly blurry photos.

This was quite the experience.  Trying to get Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandchildren who were present. About 400 photos and much yelling later, this was one of the best.

We got to spend an afternoon with Rune while Shanda was at a school event with Liam.  The kids all had fun playing near one another.  And when Shanda came to pick Rune up, she got a little alone time with Hannah.  She is a really good Aunt and sister-in-law.  We don't get enough fun time though, because she's always taking care of kids.  Time to plan a no kids, in-laws game night next time we go visit.