Brennen's 30th, Michael's Homecoming

We flew down to San Jose to celebrate Brennen's 30th birthday. 

On his birthday

D: Grandpa Jeff sure had fun with the kids. They all wanted him to read to them and do everything with them. Ev in particular wanted little to do with me on this trip: he wanted his grandma and grandpa.

D: I love this picture: it looks like some pictures my dad has from his childhood. 

Great-Grandpa Beagley!

Adeline's other favorite: Great-Grandma Beagley. She adores Dallin's Grandma. 

These boys were crazy.

I don't even know what they're doing in this picture.

Adeline got in on the craziness, too.

Calmer moments

Monterrey Bay Aquarium!

                                                                                             


An Albatross

                                   Ev                                                                              Addie

                                Puffins

                             Grandma and Addie hung out at the play place

Then on the way home, Adeline thought she'd give Everett's name a try. Everett's even being helpful.

Grammy Tracy took Alicia, Everett, and Adeline to Billy Beez playground inside the mall. Everett was excited and really wanted to go play on everything, but when we got to the first climbing obstacle he was a little scared and asked for help. He soon figured it out on his own and got to the point where he would come zooming down a slide and just keep on zooming to the next thing he could climb. He got nervous a few more times but was very much in his element with the freedom to roam and explore. At one point Everett started wailing "Shannon, Axel!" and chasing after this mom and boy that looked like them. It was heartbreaking. This was the day they had flown home so Ev was weirded out that they were there and not playing with him.

Adeline is a little less cautious than her brother. Here you can see him crawling when he could have walked and her in the middle of her climb to the top. She scaled this a few times. She wanted to go down the slide by herself but we wouldn't let her. 

Non-pictured San Jose trip happenings:  Brennen's surprise party, going out for sushi, lunch at El Amigo, ladies movie night to The Intern, Brennen and Alicia's movie outing to The Martian, the kids playing at a gymnastics center, Jacob and Susan's family staying the night, library story-time and playtime for the boys, church, Adeline's early birthday party with an ice-cream outing, playing Munchkin, Literati, and Concept, and me taking a few naps (thank you to all who made that possible!)

Check out Jeff and Shannon Call's blog (amazingaxman.blogspot.com) to see more from the trip

Fallon for Michael's Homecoming

A: Me and the kids flew in to Reno an hour or so before Michael and my parents flew in. We were met by Daniel and Hanna's family and then Jacob and Susan's family. My brothers helped to get my luggage and move it to the cars. My sisters helped me with my kids. I felt so loved and welcomed even though the welcoming party was ultimately meant for Michael. Several of my cousins and aunts and uncles came to welcome Michael home. It was so nice to see them. When the awaited party came down the airport escalator, Everett and Elise went to my mom first while Michael was greeted by some of his other nieces and nephews.
Michael! Yay! I love him. He was a hard-working and obedient missionary. He had strong faith and stayed positive. He speaks Spanish now. Which, I mean, I knew that, but it's cool to hear. He shared a really nice talk on Sunday about a few different gospel concepts with missionary experiences tying into them. My mom's talk was also nice and talked a little about their travels with him in Mexico and Guatemala. And my dad shared a sweet testimony. After church we had family get-together and dinner.  I enjoyed visiting with people and playing Dixit with Sarah, Eric, Brinley, and Laila.
Michael and I were together most of my time in Fallon. He came with me to visit people. He even got me wanting to watch a tv show neither of us had watched since before his mission. I loved hearing him tell about his mission and about the touring he and my parents had done together. He still sings in the shower, just fyi.

My immediate family members and I had seen each other in Utah, California, and Washington, and I had seen many members of my extended family at our reunion in CA, but I had not been back to Fallon since the Christmas right after Michael left for his mission. The biggest change was on the farm.  My dad gave Michael, Everett, and me a tour on our first visit to the completed new milking barn. It's amazing. It seemed like everything was bigger and that there was more of it. More hay, more cows, more pens, more milking machines, more workers. And so much of it could run by itself or with the push of a few buttons on a computer control screen. Wow. Everett mostly wanted to sit on the tractor, look at the cows, run around, and climb up the stairs.

Hanna's Birthday Bash
It was so adorable to see my kids with their cousins. Especially how they gravitate towards the cousin closest in age.

Visiting Uncle Jim and Aunt Margaret

Grandma and Grandpa came over for a visit

Hanging out with Daniel, Hanna and their girls Tuesday night. Love them all! After this we went to the Jamieson's for dinner and pinochle.

Flying with two kids without Dallin was difficult at times, but I was grateful for lots of help getting in and out of each airport. 

Here's a random picture from the plane window. We were flying over a mountain range with little lakes in the mountaintops and small clouds above them.