So many kids

News update: I'm composing this post from the Denver airport. I have a long layover on my way to Omaha to help my parents pack up their home. They closed on a house in Millcreek today and have contracted to sell their beloved blue home on Capitol Avenue to a family with two little girls. Hopefully this next generation will love the treehouse as much as our kids have! As sad as it is to leave so many Nebraska memories behind, it's joyful to think of all the new Salt Lake memories we will make together.

In truth, our family has been pretty scattered all over the world lately. Last night Eli made the long journey home from Nice, France after three amazing European weeks with Christy and Ben. Talia has tickets to see Wicked on Broadway at Times Square today, and Brooklyn is living her best life as a missionary in Bilbao with Hermana Bailey (from Australia.) Left to her own antics at home, Annika apparently set off a fart bomb in the house today. Her excuse? "I was bored." Fortunately she goes to Girl Scout camp at Camp Trefoil up Provo Canyon on Sunday. Of course, she and Jason and Eli are all traveling to Idaho first to see Great-Grandma Hansen and celebrate the Fourth of July. By the time Annika gets back from camp, Talia will have come home and left again to go white-water rafting with the stake young women and Eli will be off camping at Schuester creek. And just think! The original plan was for everyone (Andruses, Wilhoits, and Wheelers of the Avenues, Millcreek and Hyde Park varieties) to share group campsite in Zion National Park this weekend!  Whew.  I'm tired just thinking about it all.

Back to building memories in Salt Lake, here's a fun memory from This is the Place park over Easter weekend. Baby animal days are the best! Where else can you pet an albino wallaby?

Thanks for joining jus, Papa Kay!

We were a little concerned that this llama might be in a spitting mood, but fortunately it behaved. Anders was a fan.

A cow cute enough to cuddle on the couch.

Plus, Annika and Eila now have proof that unicorns exist.

A true pioneer at heart.

Anders's going to have a tough time deciding between a career as a farmer, leatherworker, or blacksmith.

2025 was the year of the GOAT. Literally. So many caprine kids.

Of course, Papa Kay is partial to the lambs.

However, the goatish kids came out on top. Here's Annika at Baby Animal Days at Cross E Ranch. This may look like torture, but she was in heaven!

Quoting Annika, "This is the best day ever."

This farm bliss came courtesy of Jason's new calling as a high councilor for the Emigration Single Adults ward. They had a Family Home Evening event here and kindly invited us to join. Apparently one of the ward members' family owns this ranch.

To all my human kids (and hubby too), I miss you already!

Happy Easter

Hello friends and family! Yes, yes, I know. It's been FOREVER since I really blogged. Or at least a couple of months. Life has just been moving so crazy fast that it's hard to keep up. I'm enrolled in the final course for my Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the U of U, and the 67.5 hour quality improvement project is kicking my rear, I will be SO glad to have it behind me! While not as intense as Labor and Delivery, my work as a pediatric home care nurse keeps me quite busy as well.

Not that I have the monopoly on busy.  Jason's work with ASSIST is insanely intense at the moment, with huge projects happening all throughout the state, whether in Layton with Davis County Behavioral Health, down in Torrey, or out in Green River.  Meanwhile, Eli is busy having the time of his life traversing Europe with his Uncle Ben and Aunt Christy. Their trip has been much different than originally anticipated, but still wonderful. (They originally planned to spend two weeks in the Holy Land, but had to change course when Israel bombed Iran just a few days before they were scheduled to fly out.)  In the past couple of days Eli has biked along the Elbe river from Dresden, Germany to the Czech republic, eaten meatballs at IKEA in Sweden, and is now settling down in Nice, France.  Sounds mighty nice to me! 

As for Talia, she is boarding a plane to New York at this very moment to spend time with family. After working so hard to make it to graduation, I'm glad she'll have a chance to play. Annika is currently at Bear Lake for stake youth conference, having just returned home from Camp Hawkins (heart camp) and Brighton Girls Camp. Last week was pretty rough for her because of a change in medication that has caused some awful mouth sores. (Goodbye Myfortic, hello Everolimus.) Fortunately it seems like we are finally getting on top of them.

Sooooo...in an effort to get back into the swing of blogging, how about I blog Easter without adding any extra text, or even putting the photos in order? Perhaps my OCD will make me change it tomorrow, but tonight I am enjoying the rebellion. I kind of feel like the pictures say most everything anyway. 

One final sketch by Jason to remind us what Easter is truly about.

With gratitude for the empty tomb, we send our love to you all!