Fathers and Sons Camp

Wes enjoying a s'more at our Stake's Fathers and Sons campout at Crystal Hot Springs.  He ate the whole thing:

It was a lot of fun, until the projectile vomiting started at about 1AM.

(That S'more was pretty gross on its way back out)

Rachel's Concert

Untitled from Tyler Lloyd on Vimeo.

Soccer

Wesley's 1st Birthday

What? A year has passed? This little man has been a part of our family for one year, and what a great addition he is. We love him so much!

His Aunt Melinda gave him a set of mini books. He loves them. He has handed them to me all day. I think his next word will be "book." Thanks Melinda!

His favorite things are balls, music, and cars/trucks. Grandma Lloyd gave his one of each. He couldn't be happier.

Wesley shares a birthday with his Uncle Caleb. Caleb wanted cookies for his birthday treat. Who really likes cake anymore? We got Wesley just enough cake to keep tradition. He loved it.

And loved it!

And LOVED it! Good job little man!

This was our picture moment of the evening. Rachel and her cousin Corbin had an impromptu picnic.

Food Truck Race

How did you spend your Saturday?  Doing what Tori and I did?  Dragging your children around Salt Lake City chasing food trucks  because you heard on twitter that the Food Network reality show "The Great Food Truck Race" was going to be in town filming for their upcoming season?:

The line at the first place was too long:

The line at the second place was moving much faster, and the food was excellent.

It tasted much better than this picture we took of our lunch on a barrel with a cell phone makes it look:

The last place we went had long lines and then ran out of food:

Easter Morning

Graduation

Well, that only took ten years.

I graduated from high school in 2001 and six jobs, three states, two years in Russia, a couple of associates degrees, a wife and two kids later I've finally got my bachelor's degree in construction management.

To experience the full effect of yesterday's festivities from your home, please play the youtube video below at least 15 times as you scroll through the pictures to simulate the number of times 'Pomp and Circumstance' was played by the band while all 3,633 graduates marched into the Dee Events Center:

It turns out that if you wear a hardhat to commencement, you stand out enough from the rest of the crowd that the Salt Lake Tribune will take a picture of you and put it on their website:

Since none of my classes this semester were on the Ogden campus, I've never actually seen the LEED team award that my team won this year in person, so we stopped by to take a look at it in the trophy case:

We did some bowling in the union building before the graduation banquet:

Afternoon convocation for the College of Applied Sciences:

The family:

It's out!

Slightly discolored, but otherwise no worse for wear.

I SPY....

....a paperclip:

It's currently making its way through our son's digestive system and should make an appearance on the other end in a day or so.

Kids!

She's little miss diva here. We are so glad to have sun and warmth outside that we spend as much time outside as possible.

Wesley is all boy, and we love it. He loves the dirt, by the way. Daddy found a game to play with Wesley.

She is slow, but at least she is riding.

Grandpa Nash

Baby me and my Grandpa Nash, who passed away Sunday afternoon:

When we'd visit he would talk about reading our blog and keeping up on his great-grandkids' lives.

So, wherever you're reading the blog from now, Rachel and Wesley love and miss you.  Keep checking in on us--- we can't wait to see you again someday.

Sister's weekend in St. Louis / St. Charles

We always stop at my Grandma's house in St. Charles.  She passed away years and years ago, but we have great memories here.  The house was in the family for a long time and is now a historical site, so it looks nearly exactly the same.  My Mom was raised here.  It is only about two blocks from the river.  Although it is simple, I think it's beautiful.

This is the Catholic church next door that my Mom attended, and a few relatives were married here.  It is beautiful.  Across the street is the hospital where I was born.

 I should have taken more pictures on the inside, but it felt irreverent.

St. Charles' main street is amazing.  There are shops and cafes in original buildings.  The shopping was fun, and the scenery was beautiful.  The roads, sidewalks, and many of the floors of the shops all have the brick that is shown here.  Quaint! This was my Mom's "stomping ground."  Who wouldn't love that?

 More of Main Street in St. Charles. 

 We stopped by the St. Louis temple.  I was married here.  It was neat to go back.  

The Chicas:  Tiffany, Robyn, Mae, Dawn, and Me.  We giggled, shopped, argued a bit, but mostly we just had a blast being all together on this rare occasion as sisters.  They are my best friends.

We had a family gathering at my cousin Caroline's home on Sunday.  Her home was beautiful.  It is a 100 year old home, and she did a fabulous job of decorating it. 

We sat around while the Aunts and Uncles answered questions about my heritage and told stories.  It was so fun, and I gained great insight into my Mom and myself.  Can't beat an experience like that.  Priceless! 

As we get older, it is harder and harder to get everyone together.  We only had three of the Aunts/Uncles and a handful of cousins. 

Thanks for the wonderful weekend girls!