Phoenix

I mentioned in my last post that we were going to Phoenix.  We went, we had tons of fun, and we came home.  The End.  Just kidding.  I was worried about the drive.  What mom wouldn't be worried about twelve hours in the car with her two endearing children?  And that is one way, folks!  But they amazed me and did incredibly well.

Day one we drove to Mesquite later at night and they just watched a movie and then fell asleep.  Once we got to the house though, they went a little nuts.  I forgot how excited kids get when they find a new place that is kind of "theirs."  It took hours for them to calm down.  I think they finally fell asleep at 2 a.m.  I wasn't too worried though because I knew they could sleep in the car the next day.

Day two we finished up the rest of our drive.  We had to stop at Hoover Dam though and see that new bridge.  It is phenomenal!  We were hiking in 100 degree weather at like ten a.m., but it was worth it.

 This picture doesn't do justice to how red the kids' faces were.  It was HOT!

We arrived in Phoenix later that night and got to visit with our family finally.  Of course, one of the first things we did was go to the grocery store and buy Blue Bell ice cream.  Oh my!  Seriously one of the highlights of my trip.  We should all sign a petition and get that stuff shipped to Utah!  It would be worth the hassle.  Trust. Me.

We spent the rest of the weekend playing and eating and preparing for the baby blessing which was the main reason for our trip.  We went to the Antique Mall, go carting, swimming, out to eat, and swam some more.  It is incredibly hot there.  Being outside feels like you are inside a hot car on a really hot day.  So stuffy and hot you can hardly breathe.  Yuck!  The kids loved being in a hotel.  I thought they would give me a hard time, but they slept like rocks and it was AWESOME!  Maybe vacation with children is possible after all!

 Lydia found a copy of the Bible in the drawer and laid down to "read her scriptures".  Very cute.

On Monday we headed for Vegas to spend the night.  The drive there was so easy we were wishing we had booked rooms in St. George or something to take advantage of the kids being so good.  But we had already booked a room in Sin City so we stayed there anyway.  I must say we got a sweet deal.  Our room was less than $40 and it was huge!  It had a couch and chair and a dining area with a full kitchenette and table, two beds, and a huge bathroom with a stand up shower and a tub.  Loved it!  

We drove the strip for a bit, not really knowing where we were going.  We finally parked at the Bellagio and watched their water show.  Then we started walking.  And we walked and walked and walked.  Lydia was a trooper since we didn't have stroller for her.  We finally made it to M&M World which is the only place I could think of that I thought the kids would enjoy.  We saw the race car and watched the free 3D movie and then of course, got stuck spending $20 on specially colored candies and a souvenir for the kids.  But it was worth it.  We made sure we found  the tram to get back to our car.  A fun night.

 The next day was a long 7 hour drive to get ourselves home. Russell was done with the car by then, but they still did amazingly well.  We stopped once at a gas station to let them run around and then stopped 20 minutes from home to get dinner.

Now we just need more money so we can go on vacation again!

Teton Wilderness

Just some pics from Chad's trip to the Tetons.

Camping for the 4th

We went to the Uintahs for the 4th. My parents own a lot in the Manor Lands which is all private land. They haul their RV up and we tag along. I must say that I appreciate a familiar bathroom when getting up twice a night to go. Anyway, my mom had this little lawn chair and Lydia LOVED it. She saw my dad sitting in his chair with a box of crackers and a diet coke by his side and decided to follow suit--though of course her drink of choice is whole milk.


For some reason, when I get the camera out, Lydia thinks she needs to squat in order to pose for me. I was trying to get a picture of her in the chair where she was comfortably sitting when I got out the camera. But upon seeing the camera herself, she got down and "posed." I have many pictures of her in this position.

Our first 4-wheeler ride!! I've been riding 4-wheelers since I was little. It is kind of a family tradition for the Carrigans. Well, we've got Lydia starting even younger than I did! She liked it for the most part, as long as we weren't gone too long. It was really cold so that might have factored in. Isn't her little helmet cute?

I had fun totally chillin' for the weekend. I let Chad and my family take the child-watching reigns so I could relax. My only complaint was that our air mattress died and I ended up sleeping on the ground seven months pregnant with aching ribs and all. I must have complained more than I thought because Chad has seriously doubted my ability to go camping again this summer.

Black Hills

So I know our trip to the Black Hills was six weeks ago, but here are some of the pictures. Behind Lydia above is Sylvan Lake. We had fun walking around it. In the summer you can swim in it and of course fish too.

Mount Rushmore


Crazy Horse Monument. This was actually one of my favorite stops. Maybe because of all the turquoise jewelry. They also have a really cool Indian museum there.

This is my absolute favorite picture of the trip.

We attempted to go rock climbing, but the weather was so cold and we didn't quite know where to go. We ended up finding a small wall and our friends and Chad went up once each. Lydia and Claire were so cold and miserable though so we had to make it a short trip.

In other news, things are going well. Chad's work is great. We're getting better acquainted with our ward. The weather has been really mild for this time of year which I'm grateful for since I'm packing around a very round belly.

And I've realized that I haven't officially announced on our blog that our baby is a boy. All the friends I've seen have had to ask. We're excited to have one of each.

We just went camping over the fourth so maybe I'll get those pictures up before a month passes, but anyone taking bets?

Holiday Highlights (Belated, of course)

Our journey to Utah started with one stuffed PT Cruiser and a mostly happy baby in the back seat. The first hour dragged forever and I thought, "we're in for it." But then we started a book on CD and before you knew it Lydia fell asleep which I always gratefully welcome when we're in the car. I can only turn around in my seat and offer new treats, toys, and songs until I've got a rash on my elbow and a crick in my neck. She fared well for the 13 hour drive. When we arrived at Grandma Kimber's, she wore her journey on her shirt as you can see below.

We spent Christmas Eve and had our first round of Christmas morning with the Kimber's. Lydia loved the music table that Santa brought her. It really is a great toy, she still plays with it for a long time, dances, and today, even started lifting her leg along with the little tunes.

We also opened presents with my family and Lydia was so thrilled with every new piece of wrapping paper she ripped from the box. I just thought this picture below was cute. She was showing off for everyone.

This picture below is my absolute favorite of the entire trip. You can see the mountains behind her and I think it is just perfect.

It turns out, Lydia is quite the snow-baby. She LOVED being outside. She wandered in the driveway and even up my mom's road until her nose was so red she could have outdone Rudolph and her hands were frozen numb. She got snow bibs for Christmas and we took her sledding for the first time. We all love sledding and make a point to go at least once while we're in Utah. I was running up the hill with Chad's younger sisters and hoping to myself that I will still be a sledding momma even as I hit my 30's and 40's. Why not?

Coming home, Lydia was exhausted. We stopped at Arby's for dinner and both Chad and I commented that Lydia looked homeless with her dirty face and clothes and her animal-cracker-goo hair. Oh well. We lucked out with decent roads and a really fun trip. Now that the pictures are out of the way, here are some of the things that were highlights for me:

1. Of course, our traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day activities. Lydia was so much more fun this year, and I know it will only get better as she understands more and more what Christmas is all about.

2. Making so much food for my family's New Year's Eve party that I honestly spent four or five hours in my mom's kitchen. But when it was time, I laid out a yummy spread that kept my dad giving me compliments for days.

3. Bowling with Chad's family on New Year's day. I watched my father-in-law bowl, and I realized that two years ago, he couldn't have bowled without a lot of discomfort and soreness due to his arthritis. He got new knees last fall and he approached the bowling lane, ball in hand, just like a pro.

4. Playing with Lydia in the snow. That girl loves the outdoors!

5. Last, but definitely not least, playing Rockband with my mom. We made her sing and you should have seen her belting out the lyrics to some Metallica song all the while saying how stupid the lyrics were. Unless you've played Wii games or Rockband with my mom, you will never comprehend the complete and utter hilarity that only my mother can produce. We were all holding our guts with tears of laughter gushing from our eyes. Love you, Mom!

Over all it was an awesome Christmas, much better than last year even and I'm glad we made it.

Grass, Dogs, and Parks--Utah Fun

The picture above says it all. After all, how many hours can a kid spend in a car seat or stroller in one week? We took the 12 hour drive to Utah in two days and stayed for a week over the fourth of July. This is us at Heritage Park in Salt Lake.

Lydia was so hot walking around the park. You can see her receiving immediate assistance from the hydration team consisting of Grandpa Carrigan and Chad.

Swimming with cousin Josi in Logan.

Hanging out with Uncle Kyle.

She found the grass at Grandma's especially tasty. Utah does have good grass though.


Lydia LOVED my mom's dogs. She couldn't get enough of them even when they had had more than they could take of her.

Here is a four generation picture. Great Grandma Holyoak, Grandma Carrigan, me, and Lydia.

Flowers and VooDoo

Lydia met VooDoo, the beloved kid horse, at Grandma and Grandpa Kimber's and took a short ride. She also pulled up one of Grandma Kimber's flowers from her many beautiful gardens.

The Westward Advance

We've chronicled our trip from Durham, NC to Columbus, NE in a reader's digest fashion. Our last days in Durham were filled with friends and last minute chaos. Thanks again to the Christians and the Kellers for literally saving us that last day. We headed for Asheville around 8:30 p.m. on June 4th with a loaded car and exhausted passengers, but we made it. Our first major event: The Biltmore Estate.

Here you can see the Biltmore home behind Chad. Completed in 1895 under the ownership of George Vanderbilt-a multi-millionaire railroad tycoon. It boasts 175,000 square feet including over 250 rooms, an indoor pool and gym, a bowling alley, a library with over 10,000 volumes, 65 fireplaces, and a banquet room with a 70 foot-high ceiling. It is gorgeous and of course, enormous! The most fascinating thing about the place is that the Vanderbilt children called it home. I imagine them running through the halls playing impossible games of hide-and-seek, having sleep overs, and every other thing that normal children would do.

Here you can see the outside of the grand staircase that spirals through four stories.

Seeing me in front of the building with the stroller might give you an idea of how big it truly is.

We loved it and we recommend the audio tour to anyone who might visit.

The day after Biltmore we spent the entire day driving. Destination: Lexington, KY. Chad decided to take the scenic route through the Smoky Mountains. To all you Rocky Mountain natives, I must defend the Smoky Mountains. They are indeed mountains in their own right and they are beautiful. The trees are endless--blanketing every square inch of the land. Chad said that driving through them reminded him of Brazil. You can see in the pictures above and below.

Lexington, Kentucky

If Chad had met his maker while driving through the beautiful city of Lexington, KY, he would've died a happy man. That is how much he LOVED Lexington with its gorgeous, rich horse farms which were beautifully manicured and fenced. While there we visited a horse farm that keeps retired race horses, the Kentucky Horse Park, and we took the "Dreamer" driving tour where you drive through Kentucky and see all the places where that movie was filmed. It was BEAUTIFUL.

This horse lives at the Kentucky Horse farm. We saw some thoroughbreds there with some impressive resumes.

Below, it may be hard to tell because of the windshield glare, but some of the roads in Lexington are narrow, lined with stone walls, and arched over with trees. They are picturesque.

After Lexington, we drove on--passing through St. Louis in the middle of the day. We stopped to see the gateway arch. We paid $20 to ride a tram to the top and look out these tiny windows to the huge city of St. Louis 650 feet below. This is a picture of the view from up there.

And below is some of Chad's photography magic.

We drove for two more days and finally arrived in Columbus, NE population 21,000. It is an industrial town, but it has its charms. It feels safe here and it feels like we're back in the west. Our apartment is huge and relatively cheap compared to Durham. All our stuff arrived safely with the exception of my laundry rack which was broken by one of the mover's heavy foot, and my spoons which have somehow managed to disappear. Lydia loves having her own room without a treadmill or computer to cramp her style. The branch here is friendly and I already love it. Imagine you have a glass of something bubbly and non-alcoholic as we toast to our new year here in Columbus.