picture dump

Well it has been over a month since we moved in -   we are living on the second floor of a three story triplex. Slowly it is feeling like home.  Maybe I'll post pictures of the place in the future, but for now these are some from the road trip out here.  

Meredith the adventure cat.

 We left Minneapolis Sunday night and drove a few hours just to get out of the city. It took forever to get all of our stuff out and then loaded. We made it to Wisconsin that first night!

Grandma came with. I don't know how we would've made it without her!

all of our stuff.

 We stopped to visit Aschylus in Chicago and played for awhile then drove on to some tiny town in Ohio. We went to the Merry-go-Round museum which was a fun stop for Poppy.

might not look like it here - but she really enjoyed it.

this Merry go round went 8 MPH! (they usually go about 1.5)

had to try them all!

 We drove to Harrisburg the next night and stayed in a hotel that wouldn't take my coupon.  Woke up and headed to Hershey Chocolate World!

 Quintin posted to social media to get a discount - and didn't get one...  turned to hulk... got extra discount. (By the third day we were just a pin-drop away from going hulk for whatever reason.)

 except Poppy of course.

 and this guy actually stayed pretty happy.

We're all sweaty and exhausted, but there it is, looks haunted.

 :)

Hunt Life Update

Yup- Q was offered a position at Drexel University in Philadelphia. It is currently a one year "internship/post doc" type thing... I'll let him fill in the details, but we're excited and of course very sad!! We'll be leaving early August. (Aren't these kids adorable!)

Easter

Kids are napping I don't have much time here are the highlights:

• Had lunch @ Janet's & got to see Mikki!
• Poppy found eggs and omg she loved it! 
• Stopped by Sylvia's for dinner.
• Poppy played organ & turned the pages like she was reading the music.
• She went 'exploring' with Aunt Sylvia & Uncle Ken.
• She taught Ken how to chasse & do somersaults! 

We had stupendous food and good times! 

Spring Break 2K16 Woot Woot!

A few weeks ago Q had his spring break from school.  I was excited to go somewhere warm.  Unfortunately and like always- Q was overwhelmed with work and school and projects and preparing for presentations and working on his dissertation and planting a garden-and being all around the best and most awesome at everything - so he decided to stay home and get stuff done and did not join the rest of us while we traveled to Fabulous Las Vegas & Arizona.

It sounded like a great fun time and it didn't sink in that I would be traveling with two babies, two car seats luggage for three and stroller - by myself - until after we found a great deal and purchased the tickets.

We left at 8pm (bedtime) Monday night and arrived in Las Vegas at about 11(1:00am our time) - The children did fabulous. The security line was empty & the plane was empty! It was so fun to see how excited Poppy was to fly! She played while Pippin (Alexander) slept. Poppy had one potty break and one minor melt down, but then we were fine. We stood I stood (with baby attached to my chest and backpack on my back, pulling huge luggage with car seat attached whilst pushing stroller with other car seat, small backpack, pillow and blankets, and other child) in line for an hour to get a rental car  and both children did pretty good - the nice people standing next to me helped trudge my luggage up every time the line moved. Right about the time I was signing for the car - and the iPad died- Poppy bolted. I sighed a deep sigh and my tired shoulders slumped a little more.  A nice lady jumped out of line and got her for me.  We got our car- it took a while getting the car seats and everything in- so it was after midnight (2am) when we left the airport and arrived and BFF Bailey's house. Then of course we had to stay up and chat and Poppy couldn't sleep while there were so many toys to be played with... we got to bed around 2am. (4am).

The pictures will tell the rest.
 We stayed with Bailey and her cute family for two nights. Poppy really loved playing with Avery and all her awesome toys. I really loved hanging out with Bailey like old times. It was too short for sure.

The next two days we stayed with Donna's sweet family.
Poppy got to participate in one of Donna's preschool classes and their Easter egg hunt - she had so much fun! Another highlight for her was the bounce house and K's Shopkins collection! I adored every minute we spent with this family! The kids have grown so much and are so sweet to Poppy! Donna is so gracious and a ridiculously awesome preschool teacher! I sure do miss them.

After our two days were up, Grandma Pat picked us up and drove us back to Arizona to see family there for the next three days.

We played with Legos and played cards, ate Texas sheet cake and Lil' Sombrero's, enjoyed the sunshine and warm weather and had a wonderful time visiting with family - all the standard things that make our Arizona trips so awesome! Bonus: we swam in Grandma's pool & played ping-pong. We got to see Amber play in an orchestra concert, we got to celebrate Susan's birthday and we had more In n Out & Krispy Kreme!!  Poppy absolutely loved every minute with her cousins!

Time flew by and our trip was over. We flew home in the morning which worked out nice cause Grandma helped me to the gate.  We flew a different airline home so this time it was full.  Pippin had some crying spurts, but nothing too terrible, and Poppy was well entertained with the goodies Grandma Pat had packed for her. We were almost home.
We landed and I walked 10,000 steps (roughly 5 miles) to baggage claim with Baby on chest - Poppy in the stroller. I picked up my large suitcase now fully stuffed and overweight. I picked up both car seats and loaded up to walk to the car Q had left for me.  I wish I would've had someone take my picture. I felt like a donkey.  We walked to the parking lot and behold - we had flown a different airline in a different terminal so the car was not there.

I sighed a deep sigh and my tired shoulders slumped some more.

As I started off to find a way to get me and my crew to the other terminal a nice man saw me struggling to get out of an elevator and offered to help.  He arranged for me to take a handicap shuttle over to the other terminal and walked me to where I needed to be. The shuttle driver dropped me off, and carried all my stuff all the way into the parking lot elevator for me. I found my car. I drove home. We had lunch (4pm). We I collapsed.

It was a great trip - the traveling part was a little tough. We had many opportunities to appreciate the kindness of strangers.  My back hurts a little just remembering it- but I would do it again! We saw so many special people and made some great memories. And the best part of any trip - -

coming home.  :)

A new letter to my daddy

Hi Dad,

I've really enjoyed the way Kim writes letters to you, so I'm going to do the same.

I miss you.

Molly and I had a boy! We named him after you, Alexander Karl Hunt. I like to think that you two spend some quality time together before he was born. He has really great hair, for some reason it constantly reminds me of you.

I worry a lot about being a good dad to him. Sometimes I think I'm really more cut out to be a dad to Charlotte. She loves dance and gymnastics. What am I going to do if Alexander doesn't like any of the things I do? What if I'm not the dad he wanted? Then I think of what it might have been like for you to be my dad. I was a cheerleader and became a therapist--two things are not really in your area of expertise--and yet you still supported me and talked to me about who things were going. I can do that with my kids--even if I'm not interested in their activities I am interested in them. That is something I learned from you.

I'm teaching Sunday School (Gospel Doctrine) these days, I think you'd be proud of me. Wish I could throw around some of the ideas and questions I have about chapters as I prepare to teach. Teaching Sunday School has been really good for me. I have a really spiritual experience every time I teach, I'm not sure other people have the same experience but it's really meaningful.  Somehow, I find myself preaching every week abut the importance of agency in choosing to follow Christ and how integral this choice is to our faith.

I think a lot about the last time we spent time together. I'm really glad Molly and I came down to get sealed in Gilbert, I'm really glad I got to see you. I wish I had taken the time to talk to you more. I didn't know that would be my last chance--and I was not ready for that to be the end.

I'm not mad at you for not wanting more treatment or wanting to do dialysis. I'm not mad at you for being excited to see your mother and Eric again; I think this is really part of my internalization of how much I respect the agency people (you and I) have.

I am mad at the doctors that wouldn't let you go snuba diving after you retired, I think you deserved to be excited for life.

I worry about Mom sometimes. She is entirely capable and I am convinced she is the strongest woman in the world. I worry about her because you were a great source of strength and stability for her. I know Molly does a great deal to calm me and keep me centered (most of the time).

You'd be really proud of Todd. He's been really kind and supportive to Mom. You did a good job raising him.

Molly and I were talking about the things we liked most about living in Minnesota. We both do really enjoy living close to family but we both also said we both love the Ward we go to church in. It's been a really long time since I felt at home in a ward; I do here. I feel comfortable.

I love you Dad. I wish time had happened differently--I think we would have done some incredible things together if our lives had overlapped a little bit more. (Remember that time you found the tiny two-inch piece I was looking for in the junk yard in Utah for hours. You found it on the ground within seconds of walking into the correct row of the junkyard) Maybe in the eternities we'll have time to work together--I hope we do.

I'm not the best dad, nor the best husband. Nor am I really a great Mormon. However, you gave me a pretty good example of how; I hope I can be more like you.

Love,

Q-Man

***I came across this post from over a year ago. I'm pretty sure I had more to say, but here it is***

Dear Dad,

2014 is coming to a close, I finally have some down time form school/work/travel and I miss you. It's been great in Minnesota but it's also been really hard. I wish we could talk about it.

I wish I could talk to you about the remodeling work I'm doing in the basement.

I wish I could talk to you about religious and philosophical dilemmas that I see but also that I have currently as I try to integrate my professional and spiritual identities.

I wish I could hear you say that BYU owes you a refund for transforming your good Republican son into a "bra-burning liberal."

Our New Addition.

A few weeks ago we welcomed a mid-size kitten into our home.  We had been looking online for a cat, in part because Poppy LOVES animals, and in part because there were days we were seeing mice. Gross.  It's hard for me to choose an animal anyway (just want them all) and online was even harder - so when my parents came down they brought  one from the vet clinic that no one wanted.  (so I could avoid decision making)  She was lovey the day we met her - until she got away- then we did not see her for about a week. She was terrified and hid behind the stove in a large hole in the wall.  

our scaredy cat Meredith

These last few days she has been very brave and Poppy & I gave her treats for her courage. Now those two are pals. Meredith sometimes hisses and Poppy will hiss back. Neither are very gentile Poppy pats the cat pretty hard but then the cat will playfully attack Poppy so they are a good match.  

Meredith the brave