West Trotters!

This year Evelyn and I have been able to go on quite a few trips. I can't quite call us globe trotters, but we were definitely west trotters.  I've wanted to blog separately about each, but time has eluded me once again and I've decided to throw them all into this one post and make it super long...so here it goes!

Our first trip this year was to Denver during the second week of February.  We went back to visit some of our friends, check out our old house, and spent the week having fun.  Here are a few picture memories of our good times!

 These are our good friends Tony, Elizabeth and their daughter April Hirad.  I worked with Elizabeth at Alice Terry Elementary and we grew to be great friends.  We did lots of things together: skiing at Loveland, hiking, and Tony even taught us how to play backgammon.  We miss them a lot and had a wonderful visit.

While I was there Elizabeth invited some of my friends from work to a lunch on Saturday so they could meet Evie.  From left to right: Elizabeth Hirad, Elizabeth Blackington (both these ladies were on my 2nd grade team), and Kathleen Carothers my principal.  Jenny Pilger, who worked in the room right next to mine, was also there, but had to leave before we took this picture.  We had a nice visit and it was great to see everyone and interesting to hear all the happenings in the school district since I left. =]

I also stayed with my friend Leslie and her family.  Here are the two pictures I took at their house.  I'm bummed I didn't take more pictures, but the ones I got were fun!

This is Clayton, Leslie's second.  He loved trying on Evie's bow and I've got to say he looks pretty good in it!

Our next trip was an extended weekend trip to my sister Rachel's house in Blackfoot, Idaho the last weekend in February.  We made the trip for my nephew Hayden's blessing, but decided to extend it and hangout with Aunt Rach.  Evelyn had tons of fun with Connor and the twins and I had some good sister time!

This is most of everyone of the Christensen's that came to the blessing during the luncheon at the Johnson's house.

Me and Evelyn, Jasmine (my brother Tony's wife), Tyler (my sister Marie's husband) and my mom, Verna.

Ty again, Mom, my oldest sister Marie, her daughter Lizzie and son Taggart (touching my mom's knee), and the tall blond in the door way is my youngest sister Nancy. (The head in front is Alicia, Marie's oldest.)

Rachel and her daughter Sammie, Kurt (Marie's son) and my Dad, Kurt. Rachel, bless her heart, put all of us, but mom and dad, up at her home for the weekend.  There were 20 of us total including her family...talk about a full house!

My brothers that could make it: Dale, parts of Brian (a rare sighting in this room; it was his son Hayden's blessing), and Tony.  No pictures of little Hayden or his mom Lerin.  We didn't see much of them since she was mingling with the Johnson clan.

These are Rachel's kids Andrew, Connor, my Evelyn, and Samantha with her finger in Connor's ear.  It was really funny to try and get them all to hold still for this picture.  We took about 10 pictures trying in vain for a calm one...didn't happen.

Connor was great with Evie.  He could make her laugh and spent lots of time trying to keep her entertained!

Our next trip was the first weekend in March to our nephew Will's blessing in Logan, Utah.  This was the only trip Jesse was able to take off work for.  We went to Zac and Jenny's house Friday night and spent the weekend with them.  We had been meaning to visit them since they bought their house 3 or 4 years ago.  Needless to say it was long overdue, but really nice and relaxing. We realized how much we miss living close to them.

This is Will and Evie hanging out on the floor.  It looks like she's strong arming him...she's not....and they were quite cute together.  She's a lucky girl to have so many cousins close to her age.

Will in his blessing outfit, I should have moved his blanket so you could see it.  It was a cute little satin suit.
 

Grandpa Cook and Evie at Uncle Zac's house after the blessing luncheon.

Jesse and Evie playing at Zac and Jenny's before we left for home.

Our final trip was this last week.  We went to Harrisburg, Oregon to help my sister Charlotte.  She and her husband Justin went to Washington DC to see the sights and to Buena Vista, Virgina to visit friends and family.  While they were there Evie and I stayed with their four kids at home.

We had lots of fun and were able to ride bikes and play outside on the rare sunny days while Char and Jut were gone.  This is Ava, Natalie, Lexie, and Benson.  They were very good for me and did everything they were asked to do without much bribing. =]

Ava would have held Evelyn constantly if she could.  She was such a great helper!  She was even willing to take her when she was screaming...which happened A LOT on this trip.  This is a very rare smiling moment.  Evie didn't seem to like sharing her mom. 

This is Char and me.  She and Jut got home late Tuesday night and then the fun really began.  (Not to say it wasn't fun before then.)  We always have a project when we get together and this time was no different.  We worked on making all the metal in her home match.  We took off all of her interior doors, removed the gold hinges, spray painted them oil rubbed bronze, filled and fixed all the screw holes in the jams and the doors, removed her stair hand rails and hardware, spray painted the hardware and white washed the handrails, made flower hair clips for her girls, went shopping and bought shoes, ate some great Italian, and reassembled her house after all the paint dried!  I'm sure I forgot something, but that list looks good enough for me.  Justin also replaced all the door knobs by himself after we got them from the store.  When it was all said and done it looked great!  Nothing like a hard few days work and the reward of it turning out better than you thought it would.  I knew it would look good, but it looked great!!

We have had a great couple of months skipping from one town to the next.  It was so awesome to see everyone and sad to leave.  We were grateful to be back to Jesse and home, but we wish all of our friends and family lived closer so we could see them more often.  Now that's what I call a POST!!