Highs and lows

We just got back from a memorable trip west. John's sister got married, and I got an earnestly chocolate shake at the BYU creamery. In a nutshell:

Highs

-Attending Sarah and Brian's wedding and associated fun. For the record, two-bite brownies + whipped cream + cherry pie filling = delicious.

-Meeting two of Hyrum's second cousins for the first time, one of whom is three months older than him, and the other of whom is one week younger.

-Being in the temple with most of John's family.

-Family dinner the night before the wedding with everyone.

-Cousin swimming time in the hot tub.

-Hanging out at Liz's with Pretes, Doigs, and Bryners.

-Four little girls sharing (mostly nicely) the dollhouse.

(Olivia (3), Hannah (4), Evelyn (3), and Allie (3))

-Austin and Preston playing with Hyrum nonstop.

-Reading a novel on the plane ride home while Hyrum sat squeezed between John and I playing with toys and Evelyn watched TV.

-Seeing a few dear friends who have since left the city, two of whom were also just out visiting. My plans to marry Evelyn off to Fox are still in play.

Lows

-Realizing that we took virtually no pictures (particularly pictures of Preston and Austin with Hyrum).

-Realizing that I had eaten 8 (large) pieces of wedding cake in a 36-hour period (+ aforementioned milkshake). I figure I had to make up for all the Prete weddings I missed.

-Realizing that my children were better behaved on the flight out than I was. Apparently, Hyrum can survive a 6-hour flight without snapping at the stewardess when she makes us sit down while he's trying to go to sleep. Apparently, I cannot.

-Changing Hyrum's first blow-out diaper in months with only five baby wipes available (like, throw away the clothes he was wearing blow-out) on the porch of my cousin's house while waiting for her to get home.

That's pretty much it. What with all the cousins and cake and well-behaved children on planes, I couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

Five days was not enough cousin time, so the kids and I are considering a repeat over the summer. I guess Evelyn heard the grown-ups tossing the idea around, because when we left her cousins in Price, she authoritatively told everyone, "We'll see you again at August. We just have to wait for the airplanes to get a liiiiiittle more cheaper."