Catching Up

Last week, on the day I got home from Arizona, we got another new baby cousin down in Del Rio, Texas...
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Last night we had a yummy, healthy dinner followed by coloring eggs for FHE...

Heidi, Daddy, James, & Addie at the dinner table. We had broccoli & carrots, broied lemon chicken breasts, and baked potato chips. The lemon chicken was very easy and turned out great...try it!

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c lemon juice

1 clove garlic minced

salt & pepper

Mix up and marinade chicken breasts for 20 minutes, then place on broiler pan (covered with foil in my case!) 2-3 inches from broiler. Broil each side for 6 minutes on high and VOILA!

Addie coloring eggs

(this is her new favorite hairdo--wavy from braids-- because "I look like Sasha and Malia Obama.")

Daddy, James & Heidi

James really got into coloring the eggs!

Addie, James, Heidi, and me

James, Heidi, Addie, and me

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Later, we loaded the dishwasher and Heidi took this picture of Polly the fawn.

Heidi took this picture of her frog this morning.

Nice dirty countertops.

Heidi also took this picture of our table this morning...the morning sun pours through the kitchen and dining room windows in the spring and summer (SE-facing)

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Before I went to AZ and Grandma Melin went to Florida, Grandma made the girls these Easter dresses. Addie chose the fabric & the pattern on our date to Billings in February, and they turned out so cute, I think. Here they are trying them on for hemming.

March 26th Easter dress fitting with Grandma...so fun!

I know, I know...

...enough about my Arizona trip already! But here are a couple of vidoe clips, and then I'm done, okay? :)


Dane C. at Devers' from MelinFamily on Vimeo.


Owen on Blessing Day from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

More Pictures from LAST SUNDAY

Mostly For Nana...Owen with his great-grandma Dever
Owen and Aunt Lisa

Sam showing Owen to Damien & his daughter.

Damien and Sam with their boys.

All the blessing participants...

Great Uncle Sam Elrey, Great Uncle Matt Elrey, Cousin Kurt Dever, Great Grandpa Dever, Uncle Mike Christiansen, Great Uncle Ralph Mayberry, Great Grandpa Elrey, Dady & Owen, Grandpa Layton, Steve Labounty, Grandpa Dever, Damien, Cousin Dave Mayberry.

Darling little Maddie Labounty (her mother is a Van der Werf, mom)

Great Aunt Lorelyn snuggling Owen.

Lisa & Uncle Matt

My stepmum, Becky, Dad Layton, and Aunt Maxine

Aunt Maxine, Becky, Lisa, & Amy

Damien, Sam, and Grandpa Bill (with teh Dever Grandpas in the background)

The Elrey Table at lunch time

Gramps, Gram, Uncle Matt, Lorelyn, and Aunt Elaine's elbow.

Papa Dever, Great Grandma Dever, Owen, and lovely Kristen.

Proud Daddy

Dad Layton

Cousin Dave

Sammy lit Grandpa's candles

Sam & Amy comparing boys

Little Pals

Owen was telling Aunt Lisa some stories.

Tuesday Photos

I ended up staying in Tucson for 3 nights because Sam wanted to go to the Career Fair at the UofA, so I chilled with my grandparents on Monday and half of Tuesday (sorry we missed you, Miki!). We walked (and shopped) at Park Place, ate Kristen's yummy leftovers, read, napped, and generally enjoyed the silence AND the company...March 31: Grandpa Bill, Me, and Grandma Lyn in front of their house.
This is the house on Eastland where I spent most of my AZ life.

My mom was taller than those palm trees when she graduated from high school...

look at them now!

Kristen's parents' backyard, where I enjoyed the weather and rocked Owen.

Blossoms everywhere at Devers'

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Tuesday night we headed back to Phoenix to Layton's house so Owen could go to the doctor on Wednesday morning. He was a good boy and didn't even cry when he got his shot!

Owen loves sunshine (and his silly dad)

Kristen is such an adorable mother.

Here she is snuggling Owen in the waiting room.

(Do you like his All-Star sneaker socks? His Daddy bought them).

The beginning of a yawn...

...more waiting...

Owen feeling perky after a nummy lunch.

Owen chatting with Daddy

Look at that profile! I think he's a great blend of Sam and Kris!

I'll miss you, sweetie boy!

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I got a wicked migraine on Tuesday night and Wednesday and didn't have the presence of mind to take photos of my slumber party with Celeste (Arnett) Hall and her fabulous kids, nor our wonderful PF Chang's dinner with Stephanie Ingermanson Lund, Marce Mason, and Cassie Mason Bacon (in fact, my headache got so bad that I barfed at PF Chang's and ended up not getting any dinner. I know--tragedy! What's worse is that I threw up an $8 migraine pill AND the L&L BBQ Spam Musubi I'd eaten for afternoon snack--SHUCKS! I did have a great time with everyone after that, though, so it was totally worth it. I even stayed up chatting with Celeste until nearly 2am). Thanks everyone for the wonderful time. I will write in more detail about the good visits, impressions, conversations, etc., when I get a chance. For now, it's time to make some treats while Daddy is at priesthood meeting...HUGS 2 ALL!

(especially to all the Hall and Christiansen kids with whom I am now smitten!)

May I have your autograph, robngeo?

Read THIS wonderful article about two of my dearest friends and thier fabulous art/life.

Love it, guys. You're amazing.

A Chilly Reception

So I got home safe and sound on Thursday morning. My dear amiga Celeste delivered me to the Mesa Airport at 4:30 am (after a whole 2 hours of sleep--we could NOT shut up, but I'm glad we had such a fun visit). I caught my plane at 6am Mesa time (just as the sun was rising over the desert--so beautiful) and landed two hours later at 9am Billings time. I was able to call the cab as I was de-planing (I didn't check any luggage), so I waited about 2 minutes for the cab and was driving home in my Civic on I-90 by 9:30 am. I got home at 11:20, just as Rich had delivered Heidi to pre-school and my friend Erin was babysitting James. It was so sweet to hug my boy! I brought him a little prop plane toy, so he played with that for a while and then we had some quiet time before eating lunch with daddy and napping, then picking up the girls at 3pm IN THE SNOW!!!!! Rich took us to Mark's In and Out for dinner and the whole family slept in my bed that night. It's so good to be home!

Blessing Day Photos

Great-Uncle Matt, Baby Owen, and Papa Jim

Grandpa Bill blowing out his candles

Aunt Lisa and Baby Owen

Kris & Sam welcoming their guests

All the blessing participants

Great-Grandpa with Owen Elrey Layton

Sweet Baby Owen with Great Grandma Dever

Papa Bill & Nana Lyn walking to Devers' house, site of Owen's blessing and Papas birthday celebration.