The Hulet's Homepage: NY NY: Part 1 (of who knows how many...)

Reagan Standing At The Gate

It's been a little over a month since we've returned from NY. Our trip was FABULOUS. If I don't blog about it now... I NEVER WILL!!! My kids are STILL talking about all the fun things they did! I hope I can remember all the fun details!

I've revisited NY two times in the past year and a half (once with Zach, and once by myself) which was fun. But bringing the entire family added a whole new level of sweetness! They were in love with everything in New York. However getting to NY was an adventure itself!!

Zach originally planned on spending the whole 7 days with us on our vacation, but about 2 weeks before departure, his workload suggested that wasn't a good idea. We ended up moving his outbound flight back 2 1/2 days to Friday. So Wednesday morning Zach took us to the airport, helped me check the luggage in, and got a special security pass to help me maneuver through the airport to our gate. We had enough funny looks with the two of us handling 4 kids... that I thought half our flight was going to rebook their ticket when Zach left me (now crying) with 4 kids (Reagan of course crying as well). If I hadn't been so nervous about getting good seats, missing my husband, crashing, and flying with a baby who probably wasn't over his ear infection yet... I would have taken a picture. We always fly Southwest, so when they called for "Family Boarding" we walked up with Lincoln dragging the collapsed stroller and wearing his backpack, Reagan sobbing (missing dad and nervous about flying) wearing her backpack, McKinley SMILING :) wearing her backpack, Me wearing Jefferson on my hip in my sling (he had Just fallen asleep) and wearing my backpack and carrying my duffle bag. If I wasn't already used to crazy, I probably would have had a full on meltdown.

At the airport I gave the kids our point and shoot camera and told them to take as many pictures as they wanted. I got a few cute ones... and a lot of blurry ones :)

The flight was FULL. But I knew that Heavenly Father was looking out for me. We were able to get the last two rows (my kids on one side, and me in the isle seat right across). THE nicest couple sat next to me. Their first grandchild was born a week before Jefferson was. He was delivered by a midwife... AT HOME. The rest of the flight FLEW by (every pun intended)!! Karen and I talked and talked and talked. Her husband who had just gotten out of the hospital for heart complications slept for all 4 hours (I love non-stop flights), and she was glad to have a distraction from worrying about her husbands condition. When my older kids needed to go to the bathroom or for me to help them with this or that, Karen would hold Jefferson as long as she could before he got worked up into a fit. It wasn't awkward to breastfeed, which was GREAT because I ended up doing it for almost half the flight. Any time Jefferson started to fuss, I'd just nurse him to sleep. I'd never imagine that flying with 4 kids could go so smooth.

Excited to be on the plane? Just a little :) They LOVED it! Taking off and landing was their favorite of course. They started talking really loud when the plane started to taxi to the runway. Reagan wanted to know when it would be quiet again and was disappointed when I told her "in 4 hours". Then, just as the plane started moving slightly fast, Lincoln said... "I THINK WE'RE HOVERING!!! Really... I think we're HOVERING!!!". When we landed Reagan cheered... OUT LOUD "WoooooWhooooo!!!", and Lincoln yelled... "Can we do that again?". I didn't even "shush" them. It was so funny! Everyone got a kick out of that!

{Lincoln and Reagan Studying The Flight Instructions Seriously. McKinley Couldn't Have Cared Less. Lincoln Showed Reagan What To Do If We and In Water.}

My cousin Matt picked us up from the airport. Luckily he had an ipad, which kept my kids entertained on the 1.5 hour trip back to Bloomfield. Matt is such a down to earth guy... and just so stinkin NICE. He is funny, but not obnoxious. Interested, but not nosey. I talk to his wife (who is just as awesome) a few times a month, so it was so great to be able to catch up with Matt finally!

Once we started to drive, the kids kept saying... "There is SO much grass EVERYWHERE!!" or "the trees are HUGE". Such simple pleasures I take for granted now that we live in a desert.

It was fun driving around to all the different hot spots in town. Showing them the pizza place my sister worked at and where we used to get dinner from every friday, or the tiny grocery store and gas station. It's a small adjustment when visiting to not have stores and restaurants open 24/7. That is one advantage of where we live now. Instant access and availability all day and night!

I would say their favorite activity was climbing trees. Every tree we passed by they wanted to try and climb. This made our walks a lot longer than I anticipated, but it was worth it. They were such cute little monkeys!!! The trees we have in Vegas are only 15 ft high, and the branches are as thick as my arm! It was nice to let them climb as much as they wanted and to not have to worry about them snapping a branch and falling down! If there was ever a time I couldn't find one of my kiddos... all I had to do was to check the main climbing tree, and there they were! It was a major adjustment for me to not freak out every time I let my kids out of my sight. They would explore Grandma's yard every day... and usually end up at the same tree for climbing.

A self portrait of the way I look about 12-15 hours of the day. Ok, so I'm not ALWAYS smiling, but I try to... and for good reason... I feel greatly blessed in my life. I have a wonderful husband and kids. And I have such great extended family! It was so sad to leave them all behind! 2,000 is just too far away!!! I wish it was only a 8-12 hour drive instead of a 36 hour drive. I'd be much more willing to visit more!!

This was one of my favorite things about being "home". Grandma would pick up a book and read to the kids. She is amazing. They just LOVED being around her. Some grandparent think kids should be seen but not heard. Not Great Grandma Edie. She LOVES her grandkiddos. She was ever so patient with them.

{Day One: At Grandma's House}

I realized that life is just a little slower paced back home. It was nice. Nice to sit around. Let the kids roam free. Talk with Grams. Listen to Gerry :) Watch the birds on the feeders. It was just what the doctor ordered.

{Grandma Showing Them Her Flowers}

{Rolling Down The Hill}

{Happy As A Lark}

{Ms. Photogenic}

{Lincoln Up At The Barn (5 minutes away from town & Grandma's house)}

Lincoln and Reagan both got to experience stinging nettle. Their cute little hands welted up fast causing much pain. They were so brave and didn't shed a tear. We got home... washed the affected areas... then put a little Lavender oil on which instantly took the pain away! If you live near poison ivy, oak or stinging nettle Lavender would serve you well! (It's also pretty AMAZING on burns. It takes the pain away in seconds!!! No joke! Curling irons, fires, griddles... but I'm rambling now.... back to NY)

{Reagan & "The Barn" (Grandpa Gerry grows a garden there)}

When we were at the barn we scared a woodchuck around the property! It was VERY exciting.... got our hearts pumping and Lincoln wishing he had a gun!

This is my cousin Matt. He is the oldest in his family (8 younger brothers and sisters) and the closest to my age (2 years younger than I). When I was younger I would babysit him and 6 of his siblings... at the same time... when I was like, oh, say... 12! Best part... I think I made $2 and hour!!!!!! It was the bomb :) I really did love babysitting, and loved playing mother! Now here we are 17 years later with our little babies 6 month apart. Delainey had just woken up from her nap so she wasn't as stoked about the camera attention. Jefferson was slightly bigger than Delainey, but she was more mobil than him. I think this is what started his interest in crawling... finally... at 8 months!!!!

On Sunday we stopped by the Bellis's cottage on the lake. Ericka, (my best friend from high school) had baby Carter (love the presidentialness of that name) 6 weeks after Jefferson. It was so fun to get together for a few hours and catch up with her and her family. They made us a quick bite to eat before we headed out to our church's historical sites.

{"Bloomfield Lady Bomber Go Crazy With Babies"}

This would be the headline 12 years later!!! Our friend Jill had a baby boy 1 week after Carter. There were 3 of the starting 5 Lady Bombers who had kiddos within 2 months of each other. Pretty funny! I was hoping Jill was going to be able to make it home that weekend, but the stars didn't align. That would have been a memory maker!!! Next year perhaps.... :)