Nicholas' Homecoming!

     I am so slow at blogging.  I am going to blame it on my computer being dead.  Both mine and Devin's died within the same week, bummer.  Luckily Amy has a laptop and generously allows us to use it.
     Flying stand-by was, as always is, an adventure.  Events always seem to happen over holidays and unfortunately holidays are the worst thing that can happen to my flying.  Amy and I were going to try to fly home together.  I was going to go Delta with her, but then the Delta seats filled up.  So she decided she'd fly US Airways with me so she could help with Bridger, but the night before all the US Airways seats filled up.  Alas we flew separately, Amy on Delta and Bridger and I on US Airways.
      We woke up at 4am, my flight left at 7am, I arrived in Phoenix at 10 am and hung out there for 4 hours.  Luckily there were a lot of nice people to help play with Bridger during our lay-over.  One man walked over and scooped up Bridger and started walking away with him.  I decided it would be a good idea to follow.  He turned out to be great entertainment for Bridger though.  They played together for probably an hour.  Then it seemed we found the kids corner.  We found three other families with little boys, who played and shared toys with Bridger.  I am always so grateful for these kind people in the airport.
      We finally made it to the airport at 4pm.  (Amy had arrived at 10am and was already in North Ogden).  It actually would have been perfect timing because Nicholas' flight was supposed to get in at 4:30.  However, he had even worse flying luck then we did.  Due to weather his flight had been cancelled, he was put on stand-by  status so he was in the same boat as us trying to fly on a holiday weekend except he was dealing with many passengers who had also had their flights cancelled trying to get out also.  Then they ran into mechanical issues, sitting on the airplane for hours and then they were told they had to get off, their pilot and crew timed out... Worst case scenarios all around for Nicholas.  So he was extremely delayed.  First we thought he'd get in around 8, then 10, then 11, then we had no idea, until he finally showed up at 2am.

      In the mean time, while Bridger and I were waiting, Mindy Guymon was kind enough to pick us up from the airport and let us spend the afternoon hanging out with her and Gracie.  It was so fun to catch up with her!  I felt so bad, I'm sure we overstayed our welcome.  I told her we'd be gone by 8 and then we didn't leave until 1am.  She was very gracious though and we had a wonderful time chatting, making cookies, and watching a movie in her parents large theater room.

      By the time Nicholas arrived I was pretty exhausted, having been up 24 hours already.  It was so fun to be there though!  In pure Nicholas fashion he waited in the back until everyone had already come out and he was last of all.  We were all standing ready with big "Welcome Home" signs.  Bridger was a trooper and had taken a nap at Mindy's and was up and ready to greet Nicholas when he came.  Nicholas passed right by little Bridger though.  I guess not being able to hold babies for two years made him a little awkward.  He looked great though, he had gotten taller and looked all grown up and put on a great big smile like he wasn't tired at all (although I think he was running on less sleep than I was).

      Everyone was so excited to see him.  We really had quite the crowd their for 2 am.  Our family friends the Packs and Martins were there.  As well as Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen, and Grandma Halladay!  Grandma Sorensen even made her own cute Welcome Home sign.  I've got to find that picture.  I love my grandparents!
     We were in the airport an hour before we could break up our crowd and do the goodbyes.  We got home to North Ogden around 4am.  Nicholas spent another hour pointing out all his mission areas on the map and telling stories.  It was some sweet time while he was still a missionary, reliving all his funny and tender experiences and sharing his testimony with us.
     Nicholas warmed up to Bridger real quick when he got the crazy idea that it would be fun to cut Bridger's hair into a mullet.  He got too wiggly to finish it off.  He got a nice trim on the sides and around his ears, and only a little off the top.  I was nervous but he actually came out of it looking like a handsome little boy. 

     We had a busy trip.  Devin was able to come out Saturday-Tuesday.  We kept busy going from party to party, even a late birthday party.  The Sunday meeting was one of the highlights.  Nicholas gave an amazing homecoming talk and Josh Pack spoke as well.  Their faith in the Lord is inspiring.  I don't think there could be a better missionary or one who loved the people more than Nicholas did.

       Dancing (spinning in circles) to some Spanish music.

 Bridger and Grandpa

     Bridger loved pushing this duck around the house.

He really liked hanging out on these stairs too!


      With all of the siblings back together, we played a game of Lightning.  It was so fun to all be back playing together.  It's been a while.  Bridger has a natural love for balls and wanted to get in on the game.  So we lowered the hoop and Landon would lift him up and let him dunk it.  The first time he did it we all cheered.  Then he thought he was pretty great and wanted to do it over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.  I feel bad I never got a picture of it, I guess I was always too into cheering him on to run for the camera.  Just imagine the biggest smile on Bridger's face and after he made it he'd look at us to cheer and then he'd clap for himself.  He's so great.  Definitely the funnest little Bridger ever.
      While in Utah I also visited the DI a couple of times (in High School I thought it was so gross and smelled awful there, but they opened up a shiny new one, and I love it!  I find great finds every time I go!  Clothes for me, shoes for Bridger, and books!)  We visited my favorite shoe store (Striders!), stopped in for a quick visit to see my roomie Tarisa and her cutest new little baby, went around family graves and had a family party at Grandma Halladay's on Memorial Day, loaded up on bulk food at Winco and raw tortillas at Costco.  Utah is great. 
      I also utilized my mom's video camera and made Bridger his Word Movie.  Have you ever seen those "My Baby Can Read" infomercials?  Well I decided I could do the same thing.  So I videoed the word, said it twice, then videoed the object and said it twice.  I did a two minute movie last time I went to Utah and Bridger loved it so I decided to make a longer one with the help of Landon and Katey and a little neighbor girl.  We videoed all kinds of animals (chickens, goat, horse, pony, cows, bird, bugs), landscape (flower, grass, stream, tree,), my siblings, movements (run, walk, jump, dance, sing,), body parts, food, etc etc etc.  It is about 15 minutes long.  It is Bridger's favorite thing.  He doesn't care for any TV shows, but he Starr's in his movie, and he is hooked on it from the second the "chicken" comes on until the final "wave".  He gets a little forceful sometimes pointing to the TV begging me to turn on his movie.  It is very convenient when I need him to play on his own for a bit.  And he is learning!

 (sing)

 (dance)

    Well, that is our Utah trip. Since I'm a couple weeks late posting I may have forgotten a few things.  I do remember that it was a great trip! I didn't take many pictures on my own camera so that is why I am lacking in pictures.  When I can get more pictures from my mom I'll upload them too.