Happy Happy Birthday Zachary Dear!!

Since we're moving away from Utah on May 11th, we didn't really know what we wanted to do about Zach's 1st Birthday.  I knew that I WANTED family and friends to be there to celebrate with us but logistically we didn't know how that was all going to work out.

But after Dee's temple day, our friend Michelle told us that she was planning her son's birthday party on the 24th.  Since it was Memorial Day weekend and we knew that we could have other stuff to do up in Utah, we decided to drive back up, two weeks after leaving.

The party was a last minute "Bubble Bath" theme since at a year old, that was something that I knew Zach loved the most in this world.  We invited friends from all different parts of our lives and we were so excited that so many people came out to celebrate.  I was actually shocked and kind of overwhelmed by the love that people are always pouring out to us.

But let's get to the pictures!!

We got blue balloons to make a "Bubble Bath" area for Zach and other kids to enjoy.  This is a picture of Zach getting warmed up to the idea (and his lack of a good nap).

My friend Rachel, from Thailand, took these photos for me.  She was so sweet to take my camera so that I could be in some pictures.

Oddly enough, we ended up with a BUNCH of baby boys at the party.  Seriously, there were three other people with baby boys and ZERO girl children until my cousins, Eric and Erin showed up with their kids.

This was the Thailand table!!  I've got to give a HUGE shout out to my amazing Thailand family who have been a wonderful part of my life living in Utah.  I wish that I could keep dragging them around the world with me.
And Cameron and Ansley announced at the party that they are going to be parents!!!

CAKE SMASH TIME!!  My friend Janae, from Louisiana, took charge of the camera at this point and got some great photos.  I'm so blessed to have friends who were willing to help out and make the day flow so smoothly.

Cake Smash Time!!!  Zach FOR SURE wanted the toys on the top of the cake but he wasn't quite sure about the cake.  I mean, we have been slow introducing him to food (for good reason) and so super sugary cake was something that has been entirely unheard of to him.

This is my son demonstrating the proper way to eat a cake.

Of course, after he finished covering his body in frosting, he came over to mom for a big ol' hug!  I love my little baby....but I don't love sticky little hands.  But we both had sticky hands so it really didn't matter.

I mean, who couldn't love to get some kisses from this little face!!

And here is dad and Zach!!!  Aaron got the awesome job of cleaning up the sticky bear and getting him ready to unwrap presents.

After clean up, dad got to spend some down time with Zach helping him unwrap his presents. Here's a picture of Zach looking through his books from Grandma and Grandpa Anderson.  If there is one thing that Zach loves besides bathes, it's books.  Besides the books he got tons of fun bath toys that we have been using ever since!  And an awesome Michael's card that I'm going to use to buy some less conventionally fun things for Zach.

I feel so blessed that we were able to have one more party before leaving Utah.  We have SO MANY MANY wonderful friends in Utah who have shared some pretty awesome times with.  I'm filled with gratitude towards everyone who was able to come and celebrate with us. 

Cove Fort

This wasn't just Zach's first time at Cove Fort, it was also Aaron's first time!  On our first summer drive to Utah, we decided to stop at Cove Fort and stretch our (Zach's) legs.  It was Memorial Day and so I was a little afraid that it might be closed.  But since it is run by elderly couple missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it was open and busy.

Isn't there something extra sexy about a man with a stroller?  Maybe it is just this man with a stroller.

A rare family portrait of us.  Normally I'm the one behind the camera.

This is the "Room of Light".  They say, "Can you find 4 sources of light in this room?"  The answers are 1) The window letting in the sun light 2) The fireplace 3) The oil lamps 4) The scriptures!  Since I've been to Cove Fort multiple times, I let Aaron take the quiz by himself.  He got 3 out of 4 so, not bad.

Zach looks like he is looking down on all of his subjects below.

After the tour, we let Zach play in the grass.  We were thinking that he would go and run around in the grass but he was thinking that eating it was his best option.

Then it was back in the car for this little boy!  We had another couple hours to get us home to Las Vegas.

Bear Wrestling

This silly boy has found a wrestling buddy!  It's Winnie-the-Pooh!!  He will see Winnie laying on the floor and will totally pounce on him.  It is hilarious to watch!

My First "Real" Mother's Day

Since we didn't leave with Aaron for Las Vegas on the 4th, we moved out of our house (stage 1) on the 11th of May....which also happened to be the first Mother's Day that I've had my own baby in  my arm.  I don't want to say my first REAL Mother's Day because I think that I've been a mother for a long time (but that's a whole OTHER blog post).

So, we loaded up the car, while we cleaned up the house on our way out....and we set off for our new home.

The first part of our trip was to Spanish Fork where Aaron and his sister were making all the moms a beautiful Mother's Day breakfast.  Zach woke up the last 10 minutes of that leg and started crying....so I rained down some blocks onto him.  He had a ton of fun throwing those all around the back of the car.

Nana Reinert holding Zach on her first Mother's Day as a grandma.

Zach thought that it was so cool that a bed on the floor full of toys was provided just for him.

Wiggly Zach with his Nana Reinert and his Grandma Prince.

After the WONDERFUL breakfast, it was time for our little family to get back in the car and start heading to our new home.  Mother's Day was a bit rainy in Ogden and all the way down to Spanish Fork.  As our elevation started rising as we headed south, I saw the line of snow on the mountains getting closer and closer to the road.  I told Aaron, "We might end up in a snow storm."  And he said, "No way."

Well....not to be that wife that says, "I told you so"  but.....

We got caught in a pretty intense May snowstorm.  There was a couple tipped over (and one ripped open) semis on the side of the road heading north.  Luckily we didn't get slowed down too much since we just passed minor accidents on our side.

We stopped for a festive Mother's Day lunch at Taco Bell in the middle of nowhere.

I love this cheesier!!!!!  That's the cutest smile in the world to me.

After the snow storm, the rest of the trip was pretty uneventful.  Zach slept most of the time and when he woke up, we could easily distract him with toys.  I passed him back a book at one point and when we stopped for dinner, this is what I found.

Touch and feel books are awesome.  I mean....I still love touch and feel books.

Aaron got me a McFlurry when we stopped in Mesquite and while he was inside stretching his legs, I was letting Zach practice driving.  

A couple hours later and we were in Las Vegas in our temporary apartment, settling in.  Zach got to have bath time with Dad (which he missed all week long) and Aaron had fun showing Zach that we can play all the same fun bath games, that we loved in our house in Ogden, in Las Vegas too.

It wasn't a typical mother's day but I got to spend the whole day with the man who helped me make a baby and the little person who made me a mom to a take home baby ("take home baby" is a word that women with infertility call the baby who....could come home with them, as oppose to the babies we have in heaven).

I'm so grateful that I'm able to have this wonderful little family to love and grow.  I'm also thankful for MY wonderful mother who raised me into the person that I am today.