Hazel's 1st Birthday

This little cutie turned one on July 13th. We didn't do much that day to celebrate except sing "Happy Birthday" a few times but on Saturday we had a backyard party and my mom's. Beautiful setting, delicious food, and great family.

Her special birthday cupcake.
She was very interested in the flame.

Helping her blow out her candle.

I stripped her down to her diaper for her to enjoy her cupcake.

She didn't get that into her cupcake. The only bites she ate were the ones that I put into her mouth. She mostly just poked at it.

After getting yellow allover herself, we did a quick rinse in the kitchen sink before presents.

"Hazel's number 1"

Happy Birthday Hazel!!
We love you!

4th of July

This year the 4th was spread across the whole long weekend. Normally in Utah the big celebrations are held on Saturday only if the 4th falls on a Sunday. This year the 4th was Monday but the Stadium of Fire was still held Saturday night anyway, so the fireworks were on a different day than the parade. Just meant more parties for us.

We started out our Saturday, July 2nd, with a family breakfast at Guru's for my dad's birthday. In typically David style he was so late he almost missed his own breakfast.
Later that day we headed up to Hill's for some pool time then down to Wyatt and Courtney's for their annual "Tiny House" party. They put on quite the production!

This is how we role Utah style!
Introducing our babies to beer before their first birthday, root beer that is.
Hazel loved it! Thanks a lot Grandpa David!

Clara, Poppy, and McKay being patriotic with their flags and loving the hammock.

Grandma Judy, McKay, Poppy, and Lindsay

After Wyatt & Courtney's it was time to head down to our front row seats for the firework show.
The fireworks are always great on the lawn of the Super 8!!
My family has been going there every year for as long as I can remember.

Ellie, Mom, Clara, and McKay

I figured Hazel was not quite old enough to enjoy the show so she got to have a sleepover with Grandma Sherrie.

Me and my main man!!

We had a great time at the fireworks. They are always my favorite part of the holiday, well that and all the great BBQs.

Grandma Judy and Hazel at the parade

Sunday night after my dads birthday dinner Aaron Catano was thoughtful enough to carry on the tradition with my kids of camping out on the parade route to save our spot. Ryan did that with them last year and they were still talking about it. Only the two oldest, McKay and Ellie, were allowed to go.

Clara with her sprite

Our spot was great and the kids had a great time camping.
THANK YOU UNCLE AARON!

Hazel and I enjoying the parade.
She was a trooper and pretty cheerful throughout even though by the time the parade ended and we got home she was two hours past her nap.

I'm pretty sure that while one of the kids, probably Clara, was playing with my phone they erased the rest of my 4th pictures. I'm sick about it!! This handsome guy above got to close the parade by firing the cannon and I lost that picture. He was so proud and I know Ryan would have been too! Also on the afternoon of the 4th we went up to Hill's for a 4th of July/McKensie's birthday BBQ and after we took all the red, white, and blue balloons to Eastlawn and sent them off to Ryan. I lost all of those great pictures as well. That's what I get for taking all the pictures on my phone. Luckily Jeff and Sherrie were there with their trusty camera for both and I'll just have to get pictures from them.

All in all though a great weekend filled with family!
We love you America!!

New Life

I can't believe it's been almost two years since there has been a post on this blog. For the first year I have no excuse other than I just got lazy. For the second year, well that's a whole other story. Life got a little crazy to say the least. We had two BIG moments in the Hill family. First on July 13, 2010 we welcomed Hazel Jane to the family. Second on November 5, 2010 we lost Ryan in a tragic dirt bike accident. It's been 8 months today. I can't believe it's been that long!! It seems so long since we have seen him, yet he is still so fresh in my mind. Knowing now that Ryan's time was so limited I wish I would have captured and recorded here every aspect of him and our little family over that missing time. I am going to try my best to get back to posting and maybe try and fill in a few of the gaps from the time that I missed. Fortunately and unfortunately time marches on and things continue to happen in our family. It would be a shame to not continue documenting Ryan's wonderful legacy, his family.

Indiana & Chicago

On my way home from New Jersey, I had the opportunity to visit my brother and his family in Indiana. I had to take a picture crossing into Lincoln's Boyhood Home. It was a great week. My parents flew in a day later so my mom could drive home with me the rest of the way. We played a lot of golf, sorry I don't have any pictures, but there are tons of great golf course all around Indiana. We helped paint some rooms in their home and just enjoyed hanging out.

We drove into Chicago the last day. We spent the day at the Field museum. There are pictures below. That night we had a great dinner and then walked around the city for awhile. We all wanted to see the famous Chicago theater.

This picture is taken with an iphone that's why is it not to clear. We are on the stairway to the subway. I wanted to get a picture with mom and dad with the theater behind them, the only light that we had was on the subway platform. I think they look great!

Of course I had to get a picture in front of it as well.

This is the grand entry to the Field Museum. They had this great exhibit on Real Pirates "The Untold Story Of The Whydah From a Slave Ship To a Pirate Ship" This exhibit was really cool! It walked you through the story of the Whydah from the Pirates who manned the ship, what happened to the slaves that where aboard it, to the crew and the treasure that was found.

They had pirates hanging from ropes in the entry

This is an actual skeleton of a T-Rex.

After the museum we wanted to go and see the Sears Tower, but the line was forever long and we didn't have that much time. In the picture if you look up at the top of the building you will see three glass pop outs, this is an new feature on the tower. it is completely glass and you can walk out on it and see nothing underneath you. I'm just glad we had the opportunity to see it.

The last stop we had was the huge Lego store that was in the mall. This full size Darth Vader is all Lego's. It was awesome!
Thanks again Boots, Holly, Max and Anni for allowing me to spend a great week with you guys at your home. You have a beautiful home and family. Can't wait to see you guys again. Tell the kids hi for me and not to forget Uncle Ryan who chased them all around your home.

New York City Trip

We decided to take the kids to New York City to go and see some of the sites before we left New Jersey for the summer. We drove into Staten Island to take the Ferry to NYC, at the Ferry Station they had two really big fish tanks that the kids where getting a kick out of all the fish inside.

On the Ferry ride over to NYC we passed by the Statue of Liberty. It was really cool. McKay and Ellie were so excited to see the big lady. I think they really liked riding on the Ferry the most though. It was a little overcast going into the city, but it was really cool.

Had to get a picture with the kids and lady liberty in the background.

It is so weird for me to look at the NYC skyline and not see the twin towers. The last time I saw them was with Mandy in August the month before they went down. I love this city!

The kids loved the subway. We saw a rat down in the train tracks as we were waiting for our train to come. It was so hot down in the subways and when you have to wait for the train for a couple of minutes you feel like you can't breath most of the time.

Dad and Clara riding on the subway.

Once we came out of the subway it was raining, of course we didn't come prepared for rain, so we where running from cover to cover on the streets to avoid the rain as much as possible. Mandy actually broke one of her sandals from walking in the rain and had to go and buy another pair.
We finally made it to our destination: The Natural History Museum. We where totally soaked and the kids where miserable. Clara was the lucky one to be in the stroller with a rain jacket over her. After we arrived the kids where so excited to be there as you can tell from McKay and Ellie's faces in front of the giraffe exhibit.

The family in front a bunch of African elephants.

Dad and Clara

McKay and Ellie in front of the gorilla exhibit.


Ellie loved the big Brontosaurs if you can't tell. We couldn't get the entire dino in the picture, but you get the idea.

Triceratops one of the kids favorites.

Dad wanted some pictures with his favorite girls.

I thought this was a cool looking dino, I don't know the name, but wouldn't it be cool to have a pet like this guy? You wouldn't need a security system:)

Luckily it stopped raining by the time we finished looking through the museum. We had to get a picture in front of Teddy Roosevelt. Again Ellie goofing off.

Getting some ice pops after the museum.

After ice cream we went across the street to Central Park. We wanted to get one more picture of the museum with the exhibit banners and Teddy.

Two of my three favorite girls Mom and Clara walking through Central Park.

There was a really neat wood bridge in the park that Clara loved.

Down in the Subways again waiting for our train to take us to the four story Toys R Us in Time Square.

McKay and Ellie in Time Square.

I think this was a great idea. The city has turned one section of Time Square into a lounging place for people to just sit around and talk.

We finally made it to Toys R Us. This place was huge. First thing you saw when you walked in was a ferris wheel. I got a kick out of that. They had four stories of toys it was pretty cool. The first stop was up stairs by T. Rex from Jurassic Park. It was mechanical and moved from side to side. It even growled at you, the kids loved it.

Friendly Spiderman flying high above.

Optomis Prime was there as well.

Toys R Us had a huge Lego section that McKay loved. It must have taken hours to put all of these large land marks of NYC together. It was really cool. I'm glad McKay didn't want me to build him that. Behind the Statue of Liberty there was a boys selling hot dogs with his dog. I got a kick out of everything.

Had to take a picture of this. The kids love to watch the movie.

I almost bought this guy for me. It was a miniature scale of the really Batman. Don't worry I refrained from buying it and just took a picture.

More lego figures.

Superman was there to save us as well. Way to go big guy!

I tried to get multiple pictures of Mandy and the kids on the ferris wheel, but the only one that really turned out was this of Clara. She is so stink'n cute!

On the Ferry ride back to the car to drive home. The kids are looking outside at the Statue of Liberty.

The next week after the trip with the kids Mandy and I went to New York by ourselves. Of course we had to start out the day shopping. After that we had the opportunity to go to Wicked the Broadway musical. It was AMAZING!!!

They said no photos during the musical, but I thought the stage was wicked! The flying dragon above the stage was mechanical as well and puffed out steam during some scenes.

It was a great musical and I strongly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to go, GO. After Wicked we meet up with Matt Burton, Mandy's cousin, who lives in New York. We went down to Little Italy for some good food.

We were so close to the city we should have taken advantage more often, but I'm glad we got in a few trips before we had to leave. I hope to go back real soon.