Utah - week 2

So the beginning of week 2 was Memorial Day and our good friends the Macdonalds drove up to Huntsville in their RV for some lovely Huntsville recreation.  In our two families we have two twinner names - Maryanne and Luke. 

Here is Maryanne and Maryanne

and their adorable Lukey Luke

We went on a canoe adventure - seeing how many kids we could fit in a canoe

Huntsville really is a beautiful place

Later we met up with a bunch of family at Huntsville park to do obstacle courses and kickball.  Joey bought a ton of candy and water guns and stuff for prizes and then had the kids race through playground obstacle courses and get timed.  I think the kids had a blast.  We had to stop when it got a little crowded and babies started getting knocked over.  We then played a fun game of family kickball.  And I'm happy to report that nobody got mad or too competitive and it was a pleasant game.

 Anderson running the ball, Gabe Macdonald and Gracie doing some awesome kicks.  (click to enlarge)

Rebekah

Edith sliding into base?  Spouse rilvary?

 Andrew pitching, Casey doing his signature high speed run (got a homerun),  and Sarah Cresap kicking with gusto.

Cute Maryanne M.

 That night was a Hale family dinner at the kinderfarm

and some family music afterward.  Victoria on the piano, Meredith on the violin and Lucy pretending to play the guitar.

 The lovely violinist Barbara Hale taking requests from children.  Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Give Said the Little Stream etc.

 Her apprentice

Wednesday night we visited our friends - The Stewarts.  

I love them so much. Suzanne, Jeremy and I all went to Jerusalem together and the three of us were inseparable while we were there.   I think Suzanne and I met one day at lunch (I was standing in line and heard someone doing a cheer in a funny voice and knew I had to go meet her)  and by that night we pulled our mattresses outside on a balcony and had a sleepover under the stars.  We were just kindred spirits.  And I already knew Jeremy.  We actually met in 7th grade when I played Anmaryllis and he played Winthrop (the young kids) in the High School production of "The Music Man".  And then went to high school together.  And then Joey and Jeremy were roommates at BYU.  And after we got married we all lived back east together for 4 years and had lots more adventures as married couples.  Anyway - it had been 5 years since we had all been together.  Since then we've had lots of kids - so it was fun for these two families play.  Jeremy said - "it's so fun to see you guys as parents and disciplining your kids and stuff - you are like real grown-ups now"

Julie and Maryanne

Oh, and their son Tennyson was hilarious. While we were in the backyard talking, he held up this note in the window.  (I'm going some place not close to here. bye-bye)

Then the note and Tenny disappeared and I ran out to the front and saw this...

 I can't remember why he was running away - but it might have had to do with him putting a snail on Joey's chair and Joey getting slimed when he sat down.  Maybe he felt bad.  But it was sort of an awesome joke.

chillin at grandma and grandpa songer's

mdancing from katiehale on Vimeo.

Mckays!! 

Chad and Wendy are basically our heroes.  Heroes in parenting and in being a good spouse and just overall goodness.  Their teenage son came home while we were there and had spent the entire day helping an elderly lady with her yard.  He was walking by her house and saw her struggling to do her yard and ON HIS OWN stopped and helped her!  I want my kids to be like that!  I think it's because his parents are like that.   sooooo.... kindness begins with me?   Anyway - we didn't get to spend much time with them but Chad took my kids on his horses while Wendy hung out and chatted with us inside.

The day before we left, Uncle Mike took the kids on a quick 4 wheeler ride.  Lucy still talks about this. "Remember last time when Uncle Mike took me for a ride?"  Really, like every day.

More cousin bonding for Luke. (I'm pretty sure his language of love is video games)

charlie

andrew

 our last day we got to see our Bradley (Macdonald) get baptized.  

This was one of the most spiritual and emotional baptisms I've been to.  I guess it's because I put this kid to bed at night and read him stories and played with him at the park and one of his first words was "teetee" (katie).   I loved being around these kids and it's so awesome to see them growing up.

 And my sweet Maryanne who I used tuck in at night and we'd have long 3-year-old style conversations in her bed.  Before we left Maryland I had given her a Marzipan t-shirt that had shrunk and I guess she found a matching Homestar Runner shirt at a thrift store.  When we were sleeping over, I was walking up the stairs to go to bed and found the Marzipan shirt I had given her with a note attached say "You can wear this shirt tonight if you want to".  So I did. 

I guess this was Maryanne's decided face of the evening...

We left the Macdonald's house early the next morning and flew back to good old Tennessee.  It was very nice to be home.  And even the weather felt good.  I was pretty much cold the whole time we were in Utah.  I forgot that mornings are cold and if you are in the shade you are cold and evenings are cold.  I was ill equipped with just memphis-weather clothes.

So - there was a lot of disc golfing that happened in Utah that wasn't pictured.  I was actually forced to disc golf with my brother Jake and I finally learned to throw in a way that doesn't completely embarrass everyone.  So that's exciting.

And the whole reason we went to Utah wasn't really pictured either.  I almost didn't even mention it because it's one of those things that is way too hard to explain or comment on.  But for documenting purposes - it would also be weird for me to leave it out.   1. We had a graveside dedication for Sarah and Shaun and their ashes were buried. and  2. We went through the temple for Sarah.  These were definitely the highlight of the whole trip for me.  I love being around other people who love Sarah the same way I do.  And I love talking about her and keeping her memory alive and well.   The grave dedication was on a beautiful and quiet morning and I just soaked it all in.  We shared thoughts and memories, sang, cried and remembered.  It not only deepened my love for Sarah but it also deepened my love for my family.  Especially my sweet nieces and nephews who shared their thoughts.  It made me want to be the kind of aunt, parent and person that Sarah was.

the program front and back

Utah - Week 1

First off - sorry about the gazillion pictures in one post.  I was actually hoping to do Utah all in one post but when I started adding more than 50 pics just for the first week.  I stopped.

Our first stop of the trip was the Cresap household where Luke got to reunite with his best buddy Trace.  They played all day.  Aren't they both so handsome...

Luke was in his element.  Cresaps is sort of the mecca of weaponry.  

And wrestling

The first night I got to go see my niece Bronwen - or "Sister Hale".  She had just flown in from VA and was already set apart and going into the MTC the next morning!  I love this girl so much.  And I think it's been about 5 years since I've seen her! 

We met up with the Pulsiphers and went to my first play at the Orem Hale Theater (I know, how can I call myself a Hale?).  The play was "Urinetown" and I had no idea what to expect... but I laughed my face off.  I felt like I was really and truly in NYC.  There is some crazy talent in that Orem, Utah.  And then we all went to Bronwen's favorite dessert cafe - the Chocolate.   I also had my first Cazookie.  Oh my goodness gracious.

 Day 2 I chilled with Sarah Cresap and loved catching up with her.  She took me on a tour around their neighborhood in Salt Lake.  Their neighborhood / life in SL is awesome.  I got to see the boys' elementary school and Trace's preschool graduation.

And the house that Mom Hale lived in when she was little.

We also got a visit from my Katie Brown and this little guy.....

Ethan and Maryanne are only 3 days apart.  They were trying to swap binkys.  Wanted to make sure the grass wasn't greener on the other side. 

That night was my Mom's big birthday surprise.  She didn't even know that I was in Utah.  I had flown in the day before her birthday so we could do a sisters' surprise outing.   I drove up to Logan to my sister Emily's where everyone was supposed to meet.  We decided it would be a good joke to have Jacob ask my mom to go check on Johnny. 

And instead of finding this: 

She found this...

 

 So needless to say - my mom was screaming!  It was a screaming mix of happy surprise and scared surprise.  It was so funny.

Our first stop on this exciting birthday outing for my mom was the ... dun dun dun....  D.I.!!!  (utah thrift store)

We drew names and had to pick out whatever outfit we wanted for that person.  And then go bowling in those clothes. 

We had fun trying to decide which ones to buy and commandeering the D.I. dressing rooms

And this is what we settled on.   (just so you know, my mom is wearing a stylin t-shirt with a picture of a dog that says, "pugs not drugs" on it.)

This is Edith after one of her many... many strikes of the night.  (I picked her outfit btw.  She's cute)

Emily added some challenges to our bowling game.  at least I LOOK awesome, that's what's important.

Speaking of looking awesome... Oh, I love her

I think mom had fun...

Happy birthday mom!

Oh, and we also went to a fancy restaurant called "Elements" where I talked way too loud about embarrassing stuff when the waiter was right behind me.  Good times.  We really missed Sarah.  She would have loved the craziness and making fun of my inappropro behavior.

So, I sort of skipped over the Johnny picture but he has not properly been introduced on this blog so....  I have a new and most adorable new nephew and he's Johhny Ty Hanks!!!  My little sister is a mom!!  And it is the coolest thing ever.  I spent the whole next day in Logan with her and it was so great for me to see her in action.  That Johnny is seriously lucky.  Never has a baby been better cared for.

Jenny drove up and we had 3 sisters and 3 babies.  A first for us!

The 3 babies.  All about a year apart.

Yes, Eliza is older than Maryanne.  Maryanne is just sort of huge.  (and I can't decide if those folded arms are gangster or reverent.)  :)

But there was some definite cousin bonding going on

.

And speaking of cousin bonding -- While I was in Logan, lucky boy Luke got to spend lots of quality time with his bestie Truman. 

Being at Truman's house is cool because my brother Jake is the parent there -- so these boys get to do everything Jake never got to do when he was a kid.  Like drive a lawn mower (and anything else he can think up)

Uncle Jake also helped Luke learn to ride a bike!!

  He learned how to start and stop by himself and these boys rode all

over Huntsville together....with frequent visits to Grandpa.

Rebekah - working hard.  She totally rocks the house.

Day 5 (Joey's day 1) was spent at the Malmborgs meeting chickens...

and our newest niece Sarah Grace!!!

vacation hair

So, my dad had broken his hand AND foot (while being manly and serving Huntsville on town clean-up day - cutting tree branches and got knocked off a high ladder).  It was actually really cool to have my dad in the center of the livingroom the whole time and watching grandkids climb all over him.

Grandpa's scooter 

Our random Sunday family picture

Walking to church

We showed up to church and noticed that Grandma and Maryanne were twinners.  People said to my mom, "oh that is so cute that you matched your grand-daughter."

Johnny Ty's Baby Blessing

pondering

The Hanks Family

Star with a very handsome Johnny

Emily and her besties - Char and Annie

"um...I'm kind of a big deal"

Do you guys love Johnny?

do you really need to ask?

Ok, that was crazy long and now it's 2:00 am.  To be continued....