A Weekend Full of Family

Our weekend was full to the brim with family time—one of those weekends that leaves you simultaneously happy and exhausted. It all kicked off on Saturday with a day game at the SLC Bees. Day games are our favorite kind of games these days. Madeline handles them so much better than night games, mostly because they don’t mess with her bedtime routine. If you’ve ever parented a baby, you know that preserving bedtime is practically a sacred act.

Right before game time, my grandma called to let us know that she and my grandpa were going to skip the game. They’d had a packed week and just didn’t feel up to the ballpark that day. Since they weren’t using their tickets, we reached out to Blake and Debbie to see if they wanted to join—and they said yes! We were excited to spend the afternoon at the ballpark with them.

We met up just outside the gates, and I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: it’s so fun that we can walk to the stadium. It was a perfect spring day, not too hot, with just enough breeze to keep things comfortable. Madeline took a solid nap in the stroller on the way there, which set her up to be in a great mood once we arrived. And she really was—smiley, curious, and social.

We had a blast chatting with Blake and Debbie, catching up while watching the game. And big milestone: we made it past the third inning! That meant we finally got to see the legendary produce race. Worth it. The game itself was a bit wild. The Reno Aces lit it up and beat the Bees 20–7. Home runs, baserunners, and action everywhere. Madeline, for her part, was as cute as ever. She happily munched on some ice cream from Nana and Papa, got lots of cuddles, and spent some quality time playing with her stuffed Bumble. She even got to meet the real Bumble—and thankfully, she was more curious than scared. You never quite know how a baby will react to a giant mascot, but she was all in.

We left shortly after the 7th inning stretch because we were hosting dinner that night. On the way out, we did a slow lap around the stadium to explore the different areas. The ballpark really is a gem—clean, thoughtfully designed, and just an awesome neighborhood spot. The walk home was peaceful, and Madeline zonked out for the whole ride, which made the evening setup a lot easier.

A quick snack before we head home

We got home and dove straight into dinner prep. Kristin and her new boyfriend Kyle were coming over. They've been dating for about a month, and we'd heard a lot about him, so we were excited to finally meet. We threw together a solid dinner spread—pico steak, homemade sourdough rolls, salad, and fresh pineapple. After dinner, we migrated out to the fire pit for s’mores and more conversation. Kyle was kind, easy to talk to, and clearly makes Kristin happy. Two thumbs up from us.

Unfortunately, Saturday night took a nosedive. Madeline was up every couple of hours, clearly uncomfortable. We weren’t totally sure what was bothering her—maybe the sun (she got a little sunburned, and we felt terrible), maybe the ice cream, maybe the start of an illness we’d seen signs of. Whatever it was, it kept all of us up most of the night.

Sunday was a much-needed slow day. Alison took an early morning shift from 4:30 to 6:30am so I could get a bit of rest. Then I took over and took Madeline with me on a jog so Alison could sleep. Life with a baby is nothing if not unpredictable.

We didn’t have much on the calendar for Sunday, which was a gift. My mom and Luke came over to visit and spend some time with Madeline. It had been a while since they’d seen her, and she’s changed a lot. My mom brought some books to read with her, and we brought out her teddy bear. Madeline’s been in a bit of a stranger danger phase, but my mom was patient and persistent—and is a bit of a baby whisperer. I was impressed by how long she could keep Madeline entertained in her lap. 

And as if the weekend didn’t have enough going on, Sunday was also Tex’s birthday! Our big guy turned 8. We celebrated with some birthday treats and spent the evening out front tossing the frisbee, which is basically his idea of heaven. Seeing his tail-less little butt wagging like crazy never gets old.

Sunday night was another tough one for Madeline. We still don’t know exactly what’s going on, but whatever it is, it’s been wreaking havoc on all our sleep. Even with the rough nights, though, it was a weekend full of love, sunshine, and memories. We’re grateful for it all—even if we’re also very ready for a nap.