Utah Trip

We just returned from a great week in Utah. We enjoyed the spiritual lift ever-present at General Conference and had a wonderful time visiting with family. My parents and Jonathon were up from Lima, Peru and Rebecca, Gerrit and Marc are all currently attending BYU. It was the first time we have all been together since last July and will be the last time we are all together until Marc returns home from his two-year mission to Concepcion, Chile in the summer of 2014. It is hard to believe that the next time we see him Natalie will be 3 1/2 and our baby girl will be 2!

Friday was the first day of our trip where the whole family was together. It was fun just to relax and hang out and of course Natalie was in on all the action.

Video gaming with the boys

Ping pong with Dad

Foosball with Rebecca and Marc

Russ and I were able to attend the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference. Thanks to Rebecca and my aunt Jean for watching Natalie for us. It was fun to be in the Conference Center for the first time in 7 years for me and the first time ever for Russ! We had great seats (thanks Mom and Dad!) and it was so neat to be able to see the Prophet and members of the Twelve so close up. Russ also attended Priesthood Session with all the men that evening.

Sunday night we had a nice family dinner and took an official family picture to hold us over for the next two years. The last official family photo was taken in Hawaii a year and a half ago. Why do I always have to be 7 months pregnant in these pictures?! Hopefully I can time it right so as to be a normal size for our next family photo.

Natalie and "Pa" enjoying a book together.

With the birthday boy
We opted not to take Natalie out of her high chair for the group shot of Marc with his cake because she was covered in tomato sauce. The girl loves her spaghetti!

Monday evening we went out to dinner to celebrate Marc's 19th birthday. We celebrated two nights in a row, but that seems fair since we wont be there for his 20th or 21st.

The original Waddell siblings, plus Natalie. She does have Waddell blood after all.
Natalie and Daddy
She loves her Uncle Jonathon
And her Aunt Rebecca
Natalie helped Marc open all his presents.
Our last day in Utah and our last picture with Marc! He is going to be such a great missionary.

In addition to all the family time, I got to see three of my best friends - Suzanne, Hillary and Michon - who I haven't seen in years. It was so fun to catch up in person and I love that even though it had been years since we had been together, as soon as we saw each other it was as if it had only been days. Love friends like that. Oh, and we also hit up BYU campus. Boy does that bring back memories. My first time back in the four years since I graduated and there I was, buying matching pink BYU shirts for my two girls. How times have changed!