Hello from Utah, Part 2

The kids and I have been living with my parents for 2.5 weeks but it feels like we've been here 3 years. In a good way! I feel like we live here for real. Life in Roosevelt is wonderfully simple and we are having a great time. We've seen Mark and Wendy twice already! They came out General Conference weekend along with her girls (McKenna, Bella, Sariah and Sariah's new husband Steve). They are already the best addition to our family! Owen came out as well and so did Heather and her family. It was a Hullinger family General Conference weekend extravaganza.

 OH! I nearly forgot the best part about that weekend ... My dad flew Adam out to SURPRISE ME! Best surprise of my life. Best weekend of my life. Pretty much. Here we are attempting a family photo.

Haven, June, Sienna and Noah having some tub time. Noah is ever the good sport.

Mom, Wendy, McKenna, Heather and I stole away one afternoon to have some fun at our local thrift shop Junky Funky Gypsy Mama. Ohhhhh did we have fun! Just look at those dresses! Lawrence Welk show anyone?

Here are our handsome men headed to Priesthood session. Onward and upward, men! We love you.

 Noah has a new face we like to call "Stink Eye." Do not cross him.

Heather is a photo bomber. Do not cross her.

Owen played a rousing rendition of .... everything...

 ... and everyone danced and sang!

 After everyone left (booooo) we resumed normal life (booooo). Sienna got a haircut at Walmart. (Actually these are out of order, she got a haircut before Conference weekend, but just got with it.)

She has a whole new brand of sass.

Noah also got a haircut. He was so chill during the whole thing. That's my boy, Noah!

Raiding Grandma's costume box.

5 weeks post surgery scar update. Because I know you were wondering. Heh.

 Sienna "watching a movie" with the basketball. (???)

 Sienna "watching Aladdin" with a bowling pin. (???) (Pin pals, Adam says. Heh.)

 Making some gnarly faces at the library.

 Noah pretends to read.

 Pumpkin patch today! Noah and Sienna loved feeding the goats! It was a hoot.

 There's the corn maze.

 Noah loved the cow train.

 After those adorable pictures, they chucked the pumpkins. That's all they're good for, right?

Goodnight (harvest) moon.

Hello From Utah!

We decided to take this convalescent party up north. My mom came to help me with the kids after Diane left and we stayed in Phoenix for a week and a half. That was just enough time to realize that we were staying in the never ending furnace WHY? When cool, crisp autumn is happening in Utah RIGHT NOW??? We bought plane tickets right then and made our escape last Thursday. We are now breathing a collective AHHHHHH. It's so incredibly beautiful and refreshing here. Good choice!

Even though we've only been here a few days, they've been jam-packed with fun! Mark and his fiance (WOOT!) Wendy and her daughter Bella came out for the weekend. We took the 4-wheelers up to a place called Yellowstone. Heard of it? WRONG. It's an hour from Roosevelt. So, no, you haven't been there. And now, onslaught of photos (mostly for Adam who will not be seeing his darling children for the coming weeks):

 It's called Yellowstone because of this lookout over yellow stone. Get it?

 Wendy, Mark and Bella.

 Keeping the kids back from the cliff. Sienna was having a terrible time the whole day.

 But then Sienna fell asleep and Bella held her limp body. It was SO CUTE. Except I thought she had fainted. Nope, it was a nap. Phew.

 Noah and me got to ride in the back cab of the truck together. I love his little baby profile plus dirt on his chin. He also fell asleep on the 4-wheeler. Who can understand kids such as these? Falling asleep on steep, rocky, bumpy roads on which a normal person could not possibly rest?

This was a stopover in Hanna, Utah. We brought all the wrong clothes so Sienna had to wear my cardigan to keep out the chill of the mountains. Love me some mountain chill!

 Noah winding up for the big throw. Note awesome little man capris.

 We're on bedhead day 3. I dread combing Sienna's hair and so I just don't. Then we all pay. So much teeth gnashing!!!

 I can now hold my kids if someone places them on my lap. It's still a little awkward, as you can tell. But it's progress, people!

And now back in Roosy, Noah finds his own personal heaven in this car.

This was Sienna's hair this morning. It filled me full of dread. But then! A moment of Sabbath morning inspiration hit and I decided to comb her hair while it was full of conditioner in the shower! Worked wonders. When I told my dad about my sudden stroke of enlightenment, he, a mortician, said, "Oh, yeah, we do that on all the dead women who come to us with long, tangled hair." When you're wondering what to do with your unruly hair, just ask your friendly mortician. He's seen it all. Lesson learned.

 And now, asleep. Only to awaken tomorrow with tangles.

The end. (Love you, Adam! Miss you!)