2 Years + 11 Months

* Spent a week with his Grandma Judi while his sitter was on maternity leave. They watched the Croods, played with puzzles, and went to Moo Cow (aka Chick-fil-a). * While on the topic of the Croods, he has now seen it in the theater 5 times. He's gone with different people each time - myself, Mimi, Devin, Grandma Judi, and Papa. Any time we pass the mall, he now assumes we are going to the movies. * I've been teaching him how to say his full name. So far it sounds like "Zano Weed Mayo". * He is crazy for chocolate milk thanks to his Mimi. When we go out to a restaurant, he asks the waiter for it. * When he is telling us something important, he ends the sentence with "OK". He then waits for us to say "OK" back. * The sippy cups have been thrown away. We should have done this a long time ago, but they are so convenient. Next step, potty training. *

This child of mine cracks me up. He loves to wear his blue "boo-ots" around the house.

Work Family Picnic

Devin's work had a picnic for his department. When I pulled up to the park, I thought I was at the wrong place. There was a loud DJ and lots of inflatables. I guess I should know better. When his work plans a function, they definitely do it right. Zander had a blast running between the bouncy houses and park. We enjoyed the bbq dinner, shaved ice, and cotton candy.

With church at noon, it sometimes interferes with Zander's nap time. Today he fell asleep in Sacrament meeting and slept through the first hour of nursery like this.

It's starting to get hot which means summer is here! This is the second Saturday in a row that we've spent at the lake with the jet ski. I love going with just the three of us. We pack some water and snacks and spend the whole time out in the water. If our family gets any bigger, we will need to invest in a boat.

White Water Rafting

Devin's been talking about white water rafting for a while now. With our brother-in-law in town, it was the perfect opportunity to plan a guys trip. Devin, Gregg, Jason, and Jay woke up early and headed to the Upper Canyon Salt River outside of Globe. It was unusually cold and it even snowed on the way there. While it was chilly, they were able to keep warm by wearing wet suits. During the trip, they experienced class 2 and 3 rapids. They all had a great time and want to plan another trip soon.

General Conference Sunday

Twice a year we have General Conference with our church. It gives us the chance to listen to the counsel from prophets and apostles from the comfort of our home. It can be tricky with a little one who doesn't like to pay attention. I hope that Zander grows up remembering these moments and the peace and spirit that is brought into our home by watching it. 

Normally we eat breakfast and watch the Sunday session with Devin's family. This year we had the added celebration of having Devin's sister and her husband's family with us to bless their new baby Grayson.

Family Pictures

We had family pictures today. The last time we took Merrill family pictures, there was one grandson and two married kids. Fast forward five years and there have been lots of changes.  There are now five grandsons and four married kids.  Our talented cousin flew in from Texas and spent the weekend taking our pictures. I'm so excited to see how they turned out.