Homecoming

As much as I love BYU, I wasn't incredibly excited about out trek up for Homecoming this year.  We had just made the drive a few months earlier and my sister had moved away 5 days before we were going to get there.  Plus my Aunt had a bunch of different schedule changes so we weren't going to get to see her either.

Of course the second we saw the giant Y on the mountain and we drove by Lavell Edwards stadium all my enthusiasm came back.  As usual -- we had the best time EVER!  It's always "ever."  I think the older and more kids we get the more fun things become.  Next year will be epic!

We stayed with our very fun friends Holly and Damon in Cedar Hills.  We were good friends in college, but I think we're even better friends now.  They have 4 very funny kids and everyone had a friend.  They got ice cream, rode bikes, went to the park, made a haunted house, played games, tore the house apart and basically we did not see them very often.

We did take the big kids down to BYU one morning to pick up our Blackout t-shirts and to get some BYU stuff for the boy's bedroom.  Please note that Bria and Ellie dressed like twins.  Remember when you thought that was so cool?  Now if you end up wearing the same shirt as a friend you are horrified.

My kids seriously think eating at the Cougar Eat is the coolest thing in the world.  I don't think they realize that there are Taco Bells in Arizona.  Plus Bria and Micah had never had a mint brownie.  WHAT??

The Casabars also very conveniently live a block away from one of other favorite friends -- the Hortins.

I was so sad that only Sadie and Macey got a playdate this go around, but I'm sure we will be back soon.

We also got to meet up for lunch with Vanessa and see her beautiful little Temperance.

 Luke was all up in her poor face and she was so sweet and happy despite the invasion of her personal space.

Holly and I even sneaked out for some shopping and pedicures. And then an adult date night including The Chocolate after a very fun night of cheering on Hat-trick Holly at her soccer game.  The kids only called us 18 times.

Saturday I went for the most beautiful run down this nice little trail next to the river and then over to the Temple.  It was gorgeous until I had to run the most gigantic hill to get back home.  Utah hills kill me.

Dustin and Damon took all the kids down to meet up with the Stohls at the Homecoming parade while we stayed to wait for the babysitter.

Luke and Josiah didn't get to come to the game but they did get tattoos! We also picked up food for tailgating and hooked up before the game.

I seriously get goosebumps when I see all of our kids together.  Below has to be my favorite shot EVER!  I think BYU should use it as an advertising campaign.

We had 2 sets of friends from Arizona who had bought tickets with us too, so it was fun to have a big group all together and cheering.  I get a little intense during the game. I was so proud of my kids singing the fight song and stomping and screaming on 3rd downs.

 The Stohl's have season tickets, so at half time we swapped kids.  Sadie went to sit with them and we got the adorable big girls.  And because Lucy and Sadie are the cutest girls in all the land:

 On the way back from the drop off, I ran into one of my very favorite people in the world -- my mentor teacher from teaching 4th grade.  I love that Provo is always still a small world.

The game was good.  Really good.  Until the 4th quarter when we just gave the game away.  We ended up letting the kids go scavenger for black out towels leftover in the student section and they found enough for all of the kids.  By then it was late and we are all exhausted.  I had hoped to meet up with Tasha and her girls for dinner, but it was clear we weren't going to get out of there anytime soon, so we all just sat in the traffic texting back and forth to see where we should go for dinner since no one wanted to feed all of these children.

We ended up at the Blue Lemon where we took up a million tables between the 18 of us and just sat and talked.

 I feel so blessed that we lucked out with such a great group of friends after we were married.  I hope there are many more years with pictures like these.  Especially our oldest girls who are all BYU babies.

Maybe one day it will be a picture of the three of them starting their Freshman year at BYU.   And also, I'm trying to talk Dustin into getting season tickets for next year.  He keeps telling me no.  LAME!  Other things he keeps telling me "no" to: trampoline for Christmas, trip to Disneyland and more babies.