Stuffed Animal Friends

My children love their stuffed animals. They develop bonds with them early on when they start sleeping with them before they can talk. It is so cute the way they hang on to their stuffed buddies, and to see them get so excited when they find them. I like to see how they snuggle their animals at night. The down side is that problems arise when their stuffed animal friends go missing.

Since we were homeless for a couple of months this summer we allowed our children to chose a few stuffed animals to keep them company while we traveled. When visiting family in Idaho Julia misplaced Randy her rat. We searched the night before we left and then again the next morning. We had to leave with the Morris family on a mission to find Randy and send him as soon as they could. They reported finding Randy a few days later. He was strapped in a doll stroller wrapped in cloth.

Before receiving Randy Julia would periodically ask for him. One night she asked, "Can we get Randy from their house yet. They need to mail it, then I will be happy and hug it." A week after we got to San Antonio Julia had a nice package in the mail. It was Randy and a few other items left behind. Julia was so happy to have her dear friend back.

One morning while staying at my parents house in El Paso Julia was playing with her animals and threw kitty over the banister. Kitty landed on the top of the grandfather clock. The next thing I hear is Julia calling Kitty from down by the clock, "Kitty can you hear me. Come down. Get down. Come. Come." It was so cute to hear her calling kitty, her beloved friend. Matt came to the rescue and helped kitty get down.

Utah / Idaho trip Summer 2009

My Dad had a family reunion with his siblings in Utah for the 100th anniversary of my Grandparents birth. 

We toured around BYU with the kids.  It was the first time I had been on campus since I had graduated in 1998.  We went to a neat exhibit in the Art Museum, did the science activities in the Eyring Science Center, and checked out the new expanded library.  

We then went to Idaho to visit the Morris family.

Grandma Mindy made some gloop and oobleck.  The kids spent hours playing with it.

The kids enjoyed the local pool. 

We all enjoyed laughs at the children museum.

5,822 miles

Our summer has been filled with quality bonding time in the car.  

July 17th - left North Carolina

July 19th - arrived in San Antonio, TX

1396 miles

Matt checked in at work and we did some work on our house while we stayed in a hotel.

July 29th - left San Antonio

July 30th - arrived in Orem, Utah

1401 miles

Attended a Whetten family reunion. Lots of fun to catch up with cousins I hadn't seen in many years.

Whetten granchildren (some of them)

my mom and sisters

my dad and his siblings

August 4th - drove from Orem, UT to Boise, ID

379 miles

Caldwell family reunion. We spent time with the Morris family, Grandma Mindy, and Matt's brothers. The kids had lots of fun playing with their cousins and jumping on their uncles.

matt with his mom and siblings

Caldwell grandchildren

August 10th - left Boise, ID

August 11th - arrived in El Paso, TX

1232 miles

Spent time with siblings, cousins, and grandparents

After arriving in El Paso Brayden asked, "Does anyone feed the plants here? They look dry like they are going to die." After moving from North Carolina most everything out west looks dry.

August 14th - drove from El Paso, TX to Mesa, AZ

431 miles

Celebrated my Grandmothers 92nd birthday and attended the sealing to her parents.

August 16th - drove from Mesa, AZ to El Paso, TX

431 miles

August 17th - drove from El Paso, TX to San Antonio, TX

552 miles

Total 5822 miles

Near the beginning of the our trip Julia was excited telling us that we had many homes, listing all the hotels we had been in. By the end the excitement had worn off and she just kept asking if we could go home.

Julia had to improvise with toys since she had been without. She missed her dress up clothes, but found a piece of corrugated card board to use as a tail. She would tuck it in her shorts and wore it everywhere she went for days.

Mischief

While visiting the Morris', Brayden and his cousin Zack had a good time getting into mischief of one kind or another. Julia, exhausted after an afternoon of swimming, found herself on the receiving end.