Arizona Weekend for Grandpa Karl Fenn's Funeral

What a crazy week. We were house sitting for my parents for a week and a half, the same week David had his guy's snowboarding Utah trip planned. David's grandpa Karl passed away the same week and so plans were worked out to get us all there. It was a bit of a job figuring everything out, but worth it, of course. David headed up to Utah with some friends on Thursday in our jeep. I headed out with Chelsea and Sadie and Jude Friday morning to Arizona. David's plan was to head down Sunday with cousins and then drive back with us to California on Tuesday. We headed out!

Jude did amazing in the car with Sadie next to him for entertainment!

The funeral itself was awesome (what I did hear). David's grandpa led an amazing life full of hard work and service. I love hearing stories from David about his memories with his Grandparents. I hope Jude gets to have the same experiences with his grandparents. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is really important and I think things are learned that can't always be learned from parents.

I also randomly remembered that David's grandparents were also my Uncle Scott's mission presidents in Venezuela. Small world!

On our way back we stayed in Phoenix to break up the trip and made it home Tuesday afternoon.

 We all found places to stay and SO SO SO appreciate family for having us bunk up in the basement. It was wonderful being close to the family and having a close place for Jude to nap. That boy needs his nap. He was IN HEAVEN in the yard playing in the dirt and following cousins around. It was a little tiring being alone with him for 4 days while David was gone, but we both coped.

 (below is Hazel helping Audrey grate potatoes for Fenn tacos)

 Jude and Imogen spying 

Jude climbed on everything he could, including the fountain.

He also found any rock he could to throw.

 The trampoline was a big hit

(Hazel, Anna, Luke, Chloe, Lilah and Jacob)

 Big sister Halle pulling Sadie and Jude

 Driving to sightsee

 Quick trip to Tombstone

 Had to get Amy and her sock!

 Lilah and Macy

 David grabbed these photos while I stayed back with Jude 

during the burial. So sweet!

Yosemite + Bass Lake

The Fenn side planned a getaway to celebrate David's parent's 45 wedding anniversary. We decided to rent a house so everyone could fit and spend time together at Bass Lake, which is pretty close to Yosemite. Lots of food was eaten, tons of pictures were taken and plenty of games were played:)

Jude did not enjoy the drive there or back, but did decently well in the car. By the end of the trip he was even doing great sleeping somewhere besides his crib! Poor boy is teething tho, so he was fussy a lot.

Friday we hiked around the falls all day and then threw together a little Hawaiian anniversary party as a surprise for the grandparents. The kids loved dressing up!

Saturday everyone went on a train ride while David and I stayed back with Jude so he could get a decent nap. Then it was relaxing, bubbles, yummy bbq for lunch and homemade pretzel dogs for dinner.

Sunday we hiked the giant sequoia area with the jogging stroller...David was a champ and pushed it uphill and over rocks most of the time. We almost made it to the top but decided to turn back when we learned that the tram back down cost mucho dinero. It was still fun to get a hike in!
We had a great trip with everyone and I always love bonding with the fam.  It's nice to have other adults around after the kids go to bed to chat with. We love our families!

Tombstone + Bisbee

This was our longest stay in Arizona yet, so we got to make lots of stops at touristy places. We visited Tombstone and Bisbee for the second time (my second time). We didn't spend a ton of time in either place since we were toting 3 kids around who desperately needed naps. It was fun, nonetheless!

Best sasparilla ever! and cutie Jude in his big boy hat.

                              

 The good news was that we found a legit old prospector.

 Cambpell posing for me

Guys checking out the copper mine

Hanging around Benson

We had an awesome time in Benson, AZ last weekend. We've been wanting to visit for a while- it's been 3 years since our last trip there- and a weekend finally freed up. We rode with David's parents which was a true blessing. Plus we had Jean's help entertaining Jude in the car. He decided not to nap most of the way because it was too much fun having us sit next to him in the back. Audrey + Jaron were so sweet to let us stay in the big house while we visited. It's pretty neat to be able to visit family and have a nice place to stay. Jude got to meet tons of second cousins and his Great Grandma and Grandpa (photos in another post). We went to the zoo in Tucson, ate yummy bbq, got ice cream, went on a tour of Kartchner's Caverns again (not as fun with kids!), explored the area around the house and mostly just played. Jude did pretty well sleeping in the pack and play and having him in his own room was a lifesaver, honestly. All in all, I wish I was close with my own cousins- I love that David has so many and all of them are so welcoming. Some of my closest friends are David's girl cousins or his cousin's spouses. I'm glad I married into such a great family.

 

 Jude in the fountain and Hazel playing in the mud

Jude on the tractor

 Jude's first time on the tramp