Quick trip to VA with Chester!

Owen got to bring home Chester, the class (stuffed) pet.
Friday after school Chester, Corbin and Owen built a pretty fun fort.

Saturday we took a quick, spontaneous trip to VA to visit Aunt Laura and Uncle Kimo and say goodbye. The boys have so much fun playing with their cousins.

They took us to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near the Dulles airport. It was really fun to see everything and the boys loved the hands-on stuff, like the space shuttle simulator.

They got to try out a couple of couple flight simulators, and they did a pretty good job.

I love Owen's focused look.

Amazing stuff!

I love this picture of Owen and Nick next to the space shuttle.

This is the shuttle simulator. Corbin was the Pilot and Owen was the co-pilot.

Owen landed the plane quite nicely, and with only one hand!

Kimo and Laura allow Jaren to take over one of their kitchen cabinets. He has a blast looking at all the different shapes and making a pretty big mess.

On the way home Owen was so tired!

Corbin wanted his picture with Chester, too. He even pretended to be asleep for it. He did a pretty good job! Goofy boy!

We have been so thankful to live close to family. Aunt Laura and Uncle Kimo are such awesome hosts. And they boys love playing with there cousins! We will sure miss them!!

Puerto Rico - Finally!

2 more weeks. . . Yes it is finally happening. After 2 false alarms we are headed to Puerto Rico April 3rd. We have been hesitant to talk about it because with us you never know.

Here is the hotel that we stayed at. We were so busy that we didn't even have time to enjoy it.

We did have a chance to take a 5 min walk on the beach. It was to dark to see much.

Here is a shot of the neighborhood we hope to live in. Corbin was very impressed with the C mailboxes.

Nick was so burned out after a day of house, furniture and school hunting he couldn't even hold his phone to talk to his brother!

We did manage to have a nice dinner at an italian restaurant. It was really yummy!

It was a very productive trip. We are looking forward to seeing the sights and walking on the beach soon! We are also hoping to have lots of visitors!

Arizona Extras!

Cavalcade!

Owen and Corbin's cousins - Madison, Parker, Truman and Tanner - participated in Cavalcade (A musical performance with 20 pianos on a stage with 2 kids to a piano playing a duet.)

Grandma Faler was on of the conductors. I personally think she did the best job and had the coolest songs. She lead the Starwars and Batman theme songs. Needless to say, the boys thought she was pretty cool, especially when she whipped out her light saber!

The comedy act between songs was Batman and Robin.
They were so excited to get to meet them!

My little superheros!

My little brother is a DADDY!!!

My brother Nathan and his wife Erica had a sweet little girl, Ella, she was born March 5th. We got to stop by and see her. She was so tiny and cute. I told Erica that I cannot remember any of my boys being that small. She asked how much they weighed and then told me they never were that small!

Corbin was really sweet with her. He kept touching her tiny fingers and kissing her forehead.

Farewell to Aunt Petey!

We stopped by to see Aunt Petey's new apartment before the wedding. Jaren was her big packing helper, making sure she took the important stuff!

Giving Petey one last love before she tied the knot!

Story time!

I love this picture of Jaren and Corbin. Jaren loves it when people read to him. He gets so excited if you say, "Do you want to read it again?"

Bubble boy!

What a goof!

South Moutain Hike

Winward Family Hike!

Corbin and Nick before the hike.

A true boy, playing in the dirt - even trying to eat it!

Nick and I climbed to the top of a boulder. It was really pretty and very windy!

King of the mountain!
(Maddy and Meghan Pennell - soon to be Winward)

Jaren was totally amazed by grandmas tongue!

Gary and Jaren became good buddies on the trail. Every couple minutes Jaren would lean over and check to make sure Gary was still alive. It was really funny!

Corbin and Owen even found Indian carvings.

Just for fun!

Our silly family!

Our trip to Arizona wouldn't be complete with out a trip to our favorite Chinese restaurant, Golden Canyon! Thanks Grandpa!

Maryann's Wedding

She's Married!!!

We got to fly to AZ on March 4th to go to Maryann's wedding. She married an awesome guy named Nate Cook. I got to spend a whole afternoon with her and even spent the night. We got our nails done, finalized the wedding video, made room for Nate's things in the closet :), and even squeezed in a dinner with our best friends (Nate and Nick)! We went to be early (she had to work the next day) which was wonderful.

Funny story: The next morning I got up while she was getting ready and Maryann asked how I had slept. I told her great. She said, "I wanted to shove you over in the middle of the night." I got all worried and said, "Sorry, did I snore or something?" She said, "No, I thought we weren't breathing and you didn't move the whole night." I told her that a night without having my "mom ears" in was heavenly and over too quick!

She was married in the Mesa, Arizona temple. My Grandpa Hopkins is a temple sealer in the Boise, Idaho temple and got permission to be their sealer. It was wonderful and a huge blessing that all my siblings got to be in the temple together for the first time!
My Dad was put in charge of holding the flowers while Maryann went back inside to change. (I was shocked he agreed, the man who won't hold a woman's purse for anything. Once he had to bring my mom her purse and he come with it in a grocery bag!) He got so many compliments, doesn't he look cute. :)

Isn't she such a beautiful bride!

This is me and my three sisters. (Me, Maryann, Shelly, and Corinne)

Thanks to Corbin, Abby now wants to be a secret agent when she grows up!

Jaren and Dad.

Maddy, Grandpa Hopkins, and Jaren.

Saying good bye, and thanks for footing the bill!

Uncle Allen and Owen being silly after the reception.

This is what you would look like with lots of sugar and staying up past your bedtime.

Less than 10 min later, this would be you!

Maryann and Nate DID NOT want their car decorated. They when to great lengths to make sure it wouldn't happen. And thought they got away with it. Too bad Nick and I knew where they were staying. Don't mess with tradition!

(We did honor their request and went light on the decorating.)