Belated Birthday

We are back home sweating it out in Florida. It is so hot here! It was nice to experience a 40 degree temperature change. I love Utah in the spring time...the smells, the flowers and the cool morning air. Here it is just hot and humid ALL the time. No good smells like Utah or Hawaii. Mmmm, Hawaii...the ocean breeze, the plumeria trees and hibiscus. Every new place comes with their own sounds and smells. Florida sounds like loud thunder and frogs at night. I haven't figured out a smell yet.
So we are back home after a great trip to SLC. Max loved spending time with the grandparents and the dogs and I loved spending time with Ben, alone. It has been just over two month since Ben and I have had time to spend together without Max. It was so fun. Max had lots of fun going to the zoo and the park to feed the ducks. Jumping on the tramp and playing with the dogs. It was a good vacation and we look forward to another one soon. Hopefully the flight will be better next time around. Here is my theory on why that flight was so horrible. 1) All the flights before this one Max wasn't walking. 2) We woke him up from his nap early. 3) It was right during bedtime, which we though would be great cause he would just fall asleep. 4) I wasn't really prepared with the best toys or treats. At least the flight home was not as bad as the one going to SLC. Grandma Derrick bought Max a DVD player with some movies to watch on the way home which he loved. Thanks goodness for Signing Time. I came prepared with better snacks and toys and a squirt bottle! He did a lot better and I think having his own seat really help both of us out. It was great to not have to hold him the entire time and try to kept him from bothering the people next to us. All though the guy in front of us wasn't to keen about having Max sit behind him. He and his wife kept giving me the evil eye through the seat. What do they expect a one year old to do just sit there? It would be nice, but give me a break! Max would play with his tray table, stand up to look at the TV screen that was on the back of the headrest and bump the seat a little. I understand that this could get old and I did my best to control it. Hey at least he wasn't screaming his guts out! I would gladly trade him seats, hahaha.
While I was in SLC I got Max's birthday pictures from April that we left behind when we first came out here. I had his B-day party the day that we were leaving to move out here and I didn't have time to download the pictures. So here is Max's first birthday party.

Aunt Mieken, Uncle Mike, Uncle Jon and Grandma and Grandpa Derrick over for Max's party.




Max's birthday hat.

An airplane cake for Max and yummy cupcakes for everyone else. Mmmmm sugar rush just before we head to the airport.
Uncle Ted gave Max a snugly soft monkey for his birthday. Max found its nose. Max kept giving it hugs and kisses, totally unprompted, it was so cute! He would just snuggle it. Needless to say it is one of his favorite stuffies.