A Quick Trip

We went to Salt Lake this last weekend for a quick family getaway. We spent some time at Hogle zoo while we were there. One of Derrick's friends gave us a baby gift after Desmond was born, with which she had made a cute card that said, 'We heard you've added to your zoo'. So today, I started thinking how true that statement really is. We have a lot in common with a zoo around here! So here we go...the top five reasons the Swaner home is really and truly a zoo!

5. Variety...the zoo has a whole bunch of different animals, all unique in their own ways. Just like us! Who knew that 5 kids coming from the same gene pool could seriously be so different from one another! They can't even decide on something to eat that they all like!
4. It's best to keep the family all caged in separate areas (I guess for the same reason they don't put the tiger in the same cage with the elephants!). We finally gave in with the new kid, and got 2 rooms at the hotel (Go Priceline!!!). It made all the difference in the world! The car ride, with everyone enclosed in one small space...TORTURE, but the hotel rooms with Myah and I and the baby in a room by ourselves...HEAVEN!
3. Feeding time at the zoo, very similar to feeding time at our house! But the animals seem to be a little better at picking up the scraps and crumbs from the floor!
2. The monkeys. They like to climb all over everything too!
1. Smells...just like some of the cages at the zoo, sometimes I just can't figure out what that smell is in the boys rooms!

Besides our visit to the zoo, Derrick took the older boys to the REAL game at their brand new stadium. (FYI, they are the soccer team from Salt Lake City, and they were playing New York) They had a great time, and I wished I could have been there, but it was too cold for Des. Instead, I ventured out on the Trax and took Tannon and Myah to see 'Igor' at the theater, but it wasn't playing after all. Our only 'PG' option was 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua'. Uuugggghhhh. The things we do for our kids! I think I earned a gold star for that one!
All in all, we had a great weekend. The kids got to go swimming and go-karting. They played laser tag, and we visited temple square. We got to eat out at some yummy restaurants. But most of all, it was nice just to get away and be together!

While we were in Salt Lake, the weather seemed to get colder and colder. By the time we returned to Pocatello, there was a good amount of snow covering the ground. Bummer! And to make it even worse, it's now two days later, and it's still there! An early snow storm is ok, but it's supposed to quickly melt away! Yesterday, Derrick built a giant snow man with the kids. I feel ripped off because we didn't really even get a fall this year! The leaves are still green (under the snow that is!). Oh well. Maybe it'll warm back up for a while. But I guess we'll just live by the motto...'If you can't make it go away, you may as well play in it'! (I just made that up, but it should be a real saying, right?) Anyhow, the snowman is green. I think he's supposed to be Frankenstein, in honor of Halloween!

Then and Now...and What's to Come

When we went to our family camp in August, we took this picture, which I posted a while back. I was the only one left, still pregnant and miserable. The two on the ends are my niece (in laws) and then my sister in law and my sister are on either side of me. All with sweet babies...except for me!
The picture below was taken last Sunday at Desmonds blessing. We're missing one of the babies, but here are the rest. Starting on the right, Kamden, Kameron, Desmond, Ryan. Aren't they sweet???

When I was looking at this picture, I started thinking about what it must have been like for them in Heaven before they came. I'm sure that they were all good friends. They must have encouraged one another, and cheered one another on as they came to earth just one at a time. I'm sure that their farewells were sweet. I can imagine little Desmond being the last of the group. The others encouraging him that they were just sure that we wouldn't leave him behind....not for long anyways. And yu know, we had no idea that Desmond was going to be part of our family. It wasn't until we knew that these other sweet spirits were on their way, that we felt the prompting that there was one more little person who needed to be with us. Perhaps his cousins were helping to give us a little nudge??? I also imagine these spirits in Heaven promising eachother that they would look after eachother here on earth. That they would stick together and help eachother to succeed, to return to Heavenly Father some day. After all, isn't that what friends would want for eachother? Just a thought. Perhaps just my imagination...but maybe not!
So I hope and pray that this is exactly what will happen. I hope that these little friends will be a good example to eachother. That they'll help eachother to succeed. That they'll pull eachother up, not down. They are all so different, but they're all so much the same too! They have come to join an extended family that loves tradition, and loves to spend time together. They are all loved by their parents, their grandparents, their cousins, their aunts and uncles, their brothers and sisters, and most of all, by their Heavenly Father! And I hope that they will never ever forget that!

In The Mood

No Derrick...not that kind of 'mood'. I'm in the mood to BLOG!!! It's been a while, because we've had a lot going on, but that's all the more reason to get posting, right??? This last weekend, we loaded up the family and went to Smithfield to bless Desmond. Emilie was nice enough to share her big day with us, so that we could save the family a trip to Pocatello. We started out the day with Desmonds blessing, and then headed over to Emilie's baptism. After the baptism, we went to Mack Park for some lunch, and then over to the Swaner house for some dinner. Needless to say, we were well fed! It was a beautiful, warm, fall day. We had family from as far as Tooele (I'm still impressed when I can spell that right!) come and support us. (thanks Dave and Gabe) It was a really happy day, and we feel so blessed to have a sweet healthy baby, to have a beautiful home to raise him in, and to have the love and support of so many people! Thanks everyone!

Just showing off the new duds. I found the outfit at TJ Maxx, for ten bucks! I love a great deal!

Just some random pictures of the kids and the cousins.

I forgot to take a picture of the baptism girl, so I borrowed this from Nicky's blog. Great picture, hu! It was taken at the Logan temple.