May: Strawberry Festival. Surprise #3. Denver date. Wyoming adventures and graduation. Hailey's Birthday. Visiting lots of family and friends. NEEDS JOEL"S PICTURES UPDATED FROM WEDDING

While in Vegas we are trying to take advantage of all the things there are to do.  Some are for fee and some are free.  With spring coming, the farmers markets are starting to pop up.  We went to a farmers market in Summerlin called the Strawberry Festival.  It was a a family friendly place with a petty zoo, inflatable jumper, and other activities as well as strawberries for sale.  We are pretty spoiled since we have a strawberry patch at the San Miguel Garden, but it was fun to get out and enjoy the hot day. 

It might seem weird and out of place but with the move happening so quickly, trying to get settled, and trying to juggle life and work I missed a few details.  When I finally started getting tired and a little queasy, I wondered.  I've never taken a pregnancy test before because like clockwork I always knew right away.  This time I wasn't sure.  Joel and I have known for about a year that we are suppose to have another baby but I just wasn't ready.  The birth and raising of Emi in the first year was rough on me.  Joel was working nights, I didn't have a great experience at the hospital, labor and delivery wracked my body, and Emi was a screamer baby, we moved, etc.  I wanted at least 3-4 years break.  Well... by the time baby #3 will be born would be 3 years so... I also made a bargain of sorts that I couldn't be sick all the time and handle raising two rambunctious toddlers.  Joel had a couple stipulations as well... He didn't want the reveal to be... well... Uh, Joel, we're pregnant.  He wanted to be excited and have a fun reveal.

A fun reveal... Yeah... So when it comes to crafty or creative things, I'm not the best.  So I went out one night and filled up 20 balloons and left them in Joel's truck figuring he'd find them on his way to work.  Then I found a small container, a card-which I didn't use, and a small baking timer.  When it all came down to it, I had Joel close his eyes and handed him the small box.  He had no idea what it was.  Still blindfolded he had to open the small box to find the test.  He still couldn't pin point the shape of the test because we'd never used one before.  When he finally opened his eyes he was shocked and tears came to his eyes as well as laughter.  He was excited and nervous and all kinds of emotions.

The funny part was that I asked him to keep it quiet for a little while.  Well, if you know Joel, you know he can't keep a secret very well or for long.  It wasn't 24 hours before he had slipped and Jaime knew. Silly boy...

In April, Joel was randomly looking at cheap flights and said, Hey flights to Denver are super cheap.  He was half joking and said we should go to Denver to visit Ryan Marsden for Joel's birthday, but I ran with it.  They tickets were really cheap.  I made arrangement to have the girls taken care of for a two day weekend and we booked a flight to Denver.  Our total airfare was $115 round trip for both of us.  We found out the reason when we boarded the plane, sardine seats! Oh well it's only an hour, we didn't have kids and we wanted to have a fun weekend.

We rented a car once we got there and drove up to Fort Collins.  We had made arrangements to stay with Mama Hanks and then go to the Fort Collins Temple Saturday morning.  Getting back together with Mama Hanks was as though nothing had changed.  It didn't take long for Mama Hanks to ask if we were having more kids... Again, secrets just can't be kept from some people.  She was still amazing and loving and we sat and talked for at least an hour until we all said, we really should get to bed.  She had left chocolates on our pillows and water bottles.  Even though the bed was small for Joel to share, we had a great time and love the Hank's family. 

Saturday we went to the FC temple with Mallory Harrison and then out to eat at Hoo Hot.  Joel was stuffed beyond belief but he was happy.

Saturday afternoon we drove down to Denver to meet up with Ryan Marden and meet Cherish-his newly wed wife and 2 kids.  We decided that since it was celebratory of Joel's birthday weekend we would go see a man movie.  Joel and Ryan both wanted to watch  ???  So we went.  Ryan took us to a theatre that had free drinks and popcorn included with your ticket.  It still wasn't expensive and they ate lots of popcorn.  I usually don't care for popcorn but ate quite a bit myself... pregnancy craving.

Ryan laughed at us when we told him in the airport on our way there that we were prego with #3.  Typical Ryan.  It was a great night of movies and friends and old time laughter.  Ryan's parents were generous as usual and let us stay in their basement.  It was like a babymoon that we never had.  No kids, just fun.  We missed Colorado-the weather, the people, everything.  We went to Ally Cats and did all the things that we loved about the place.  It was a whirlwind, super short weekend trip but we loved it. 

The fun part came with the timing of things.  Joel had been furlowed the weekend that we went to Denver and we didn't know exactly when he was going to be called back.  Whitney was graduating from high school and originally we told her that we wouldn't make it.  But with the furlow, we decided to go up.  Family helped with gas and it was a good trip.  We left for Denver on Friday and got home Sunday late evening.  We picked up the girls from our friends Monday morning, packed a few extra things and hit the road to start our Wyoming trip.  We had friends and family all along the way so we stopped along the way.  We had no rush because we didn't have to be back for work.

We had originally planned to stay in Jaime's camper trailer.  It was supposed to be nice weather.  I had packed clothes for the girls for 70's weather.  When we got there the weather changed and it averaged the 50's in the daytime.  At night it was colder and the heat wasn't hooked up in the trailer.  Joel loved the cold and so the camper became his man cave and the girls and I moved into BR's little cabin.  Hailey and Emi loved being there with BR and BR loved having the girls in her little cabin.

BR usually goes to be early, but I don't think she did on any of the nights that the girls were there.  She loved to sit and be with them.  It didn't matter if it was watching tv, reading book and after book, watching them color, or watching them sleep.  She wanted as much of them as she could get and they didn't complain one bit.

While we were there, we celebrated Hailey's birthday.  Hailey had told Grandma Robyn that she wanted a rainbow cake, so that's what Grandma Robyn had made.  It was the fanciest cake any of us have had and Hailey loved it.  Her favorite part was the fondent hearts on the outside.  PURE SUGAR!  She didn't eat much of the cake and she hadn't had much dinner, so the combination equaled a massive sugar crash.  It's the first she'd had.  But for her it was probably worth it.  She loved that cake.  She got lots of fun gifts and enjoyed playing with them.  Swimsuits, clothes, and a ball pit. 

One of the things that Joel and I enjoyed while up in Wyoming was the cool air and outdoors.  I tried to take a walk each morning to get out of the house and stay active and not get so stiff.  Plus 60 degree weather vs the 100s... We also made time to go up to the mountains and do a hike.  He wanted to go to a waterfall area he liked.  It was a night drive and the weather on the mountain was perfect. Hailey and Emi loved exploring the water.  Emi wasn't so much into the hiking part though.  She wanted in the backpack, she didn't want to walk.  The waterfall was pretty.  It took some climbing to get to which Hailey enjoyed.  She liked climbing up but had a hard time with going down. 

Eventually we had to start our trip back down to Vegas.  We still had family and friends to stop and visit on the way back down.  We stayed with Georgie once we hit Utah.  We always have a good time there and the girls love the crawl space/play area.  This time we got to use the master tub and that was amazing. I love baths.  The girls love baths.  And this was a huge bath!

We also stopped and visited Randy and Roland and many other Smith's.  We went to Colton's wedding and had a great time.  Hailey and Emi loved seeing all their Uncles and the Smith family loved seeing the girls.  They grow a lot in between visits.

We stopped briefly and spent time with Dana.  Lucy and the girls loved playing in the new ball pit.  Fun cousin time. 

Then the last and final stop before heading home was Grandpa and Gma Margarets.  The girls got to watch movies, roast hot dogs, run around the yard naked after getting hosed off.  Kelly Strand met us in Aurora for the weekend and we all had a wonderful time.