UTAH!

This last month, Grant was finally able to meet every member of his family! (Mike has 7 siblings, I have 5...it took a while!)  We made a trip to see some of Mike's siblings and Grant's cousins there and had a great time! 

We were worried about taking Grant on such a long trip.  It's a ten hour drive and due to a snowstorm, it took us about three extra hours to get to Flagstaff.  That plus stops made it a miserable fourteen hour trip.  Grant coped better than Mike and me and basically slept the whole time.  We're SO lucky!  He's such a good baby!!

First stop was Aunt Emily and Uncle Nate's house.  Their baby Trace is almost exactly 6 months older than Grant.  This was their first meeting.  Trace was SO cute with Grant and was pretty much by his side constantly from that moment on.  Emily has a really cute picture of Grant smiling at Trace at this first encounter.

They loved each others' company but since Trace is the only one that's mobile, he had to do all the work!

 It was so much fun getting to see them interact.  We think Grant's gonna look up to Trace and try to follow him around and be like him.  If Trace is as interested in him as he was on this trip, it just might work out.

Trace and Mike were a fun pair too.  Mike would start dancing and Trace would get a big grin and start dancing like a wild man.  Trace is SO much fun!  He lights up when you come into the room and can bright anyone's day.

 Meeting Uncle M Jay

I hope I have written down somewhere how excited Emily was for him to get here so Grant can read it someday.  Telling her we were pregnant while she was pregnant with Trace, then getting to tell her we were having a boy too was so much fun!  Mike and Emily went on missions and then got married within a week of each other so it seems pretty fitting that our little guys are so close in age.

Grant also got to meet the kid who will inevitably be his partner in crime-Cord's little guy Gage.  They don't understand who they're sitting next to right now but I'm sure they'll give us plenty of grief!

They are adorable but don't they already look like a couple of trouble-makers?

 Of course, having the three boys together, we had to attempt to get a picture of them all.

This kills me...Trace tries to eat Gage...not working out

So he goes for Grant...Emily has to intervene

Finally...there are some happy guys

But then we do a position change which throws everyone into a frenzy

Gage is trying to figure out what Trace is up to...Grant's been bored for a while

Oh well...we'll get one next time.  At least they like each other!

 Grant and his Uncle Nate became pretty good pals pretty quick.  Nate taught him some life lessons about how to be cool.  Nate dressed Grant in the following picture to show us what is considered dorky:

I couldn't stop laughing

Grant also met Mike's cousin Josh and his fiancee' Kt this trip.

We're told a lot that Grant looks like Josh's dad

Josh has some mad Guesstures skills

As does Mike...

 Could you tell what they're acting out?  ...Neither could their team which was why the girls dominated!! ;)

The whole group at Costa Vida

 Sunday morning, we got to go for a walk with Cord and Whit before we had to leave town.  It was so pretty and nice to get to spend some time with them!  We miss them being close to us!

Grant and Gage in Whit's awesome double stroller!

 Ave decided to turn the double stroller into a triple stroller.  It actually worked out pretty well!

Mike's REALLY been missing Ave!

It's always hard for these two to say goodbye.  Ave asked  me if I could just leave Mike there :)

Finally home and bathed and feelin' good.

 Then Grant got to help me unpack :)

Thanks to all those of you who put up with us and our mess!  It was SOO good to see you all!  We miss you already!!