Spring

We had such a warm winter this year that spring feels almost the same. We love to be outside.

I was trying to show Hazel this flower, but she's all about rocks.

We may have pulled up some of last year's carrots prepping for this year.

Most pictures I have of Hazel are from this angle. It's hard to get photos of anything but her running around, nice and blurry.

Unless she's sleeping.

We're lucky to live just a short bike ride from cows, horses, snakes, ducks, many different birds, rabbits and more.

The dirt at the top of the Y is Hazel's favorite part of hiking. She likes to lay down on her front and make a version of a dirt angel.

Just enjoying the open door and a flower when we're inside.

Interested in everything.

Getting better and jumping up and down on the wobbly bridge every time we visit the park.

Easter in California

We went to California for Easter and spent time with my parents and Casey and Chris' mom Vicki and Mike and Jewel. It was a fun, quick weekend trip.

Everywhere we go (and at home) she wants her own chair. As sad as I'll be to start paying for her ticket when she's no longer a lap child, Hazel will be in heaven.

She just wanted to roll the suitcases all day. When it became too crowded for her to roll it, she settled for riding on top.

Hiking St. Joe's in Los Gatos is one of my favorite things to do when I visit my parents. Hiking in shade is quite the novelty when you live in Utah.

Of course, Hazel loves the little chair my dad just had to buy. This was during our barbecue with Chris' mom, Mike and Jewel.

So fun to be with cousins!

A new necklace from Aunt Michelle and new outfit from the Uncle-Tom-Carmacks meant it was time for layering.

She was definitely not interested in finding anything else during the egg hunt once she opened an egg full of jelly beans.

Hiding behind the hot tub because we wouldn't stop trying to get her to put stuff in her basket...

Peeps!

Happy Easter!

Easter egg hunt photos by Tom Carmack. Bottom family photo by Phil Carmack.

Skiing

Although Utah didn't get much snow this year, we were lucky to be able to go skiing a couple of times, thanks to grandparents who helped watch Hazel. She spent time playing in the lodge while Chris and I, my parents and my brother and sister-in-law all took turns skiing and watching Hazel. She also spent a fun day hanging out at the pool with her grandparents and aunt and uncle while Chris and I skied together another time. Hazel also likes to spend some of her free time practicing putting on her snow gear, so she's ready when the flakes fall.

Panama

Right after Christmas, we visited Panama with my family. My Uncle Curt and Aunt Melanie are the mission leadership in Panama, so we went to down to see them and visit some fun places in Panama. Hazel has actually done a fair amount of traveling already as she is a regular jet-setter (this was her 20th flight) so we weren't too worried about traveling overall, and Panama is really safe. It was fun to take an international trip together.

These two got the smallest row.

Hey, back there!

Not enjoying the life-jacket or forced-lap-sitting.

Until this. My arms got tired.

The next few photos are from our visit to an Embera village. We were able to see some of the crafts the people of this Embera village do and eat lunch, which was fresh and delicious. As neat as it was, these visits can be kind of hard. Because of recent (in the last 100 years) laws, the Embera people can't do the hunting and fishing they used to, and rely on tours and tourists buying the items they crafted for their livelihood. I feel happy to buy beautifully-made items (we purchased some very beautifully woven baskets and a wooden snake for Hazel), but I wonder how some of the Embera feel about this being their livelihood. There are some who probably love what they do, and others who don't, but don't really feel they have the choice to do something else.

Casco Viejo (where we had amazing fish tacos at The Fish Market). For some reason, it was funny to see these large pelicans up high in a tree.

Panama Temple.

Didn't want anyone else holding her after church.

The Panama Canal is really cool. It was so hot, though, and there wasn't shade by the crowded edge, and if we moved into the shade, we lost our viewing spot. Tough choices. We watched boats come in from each side, the lock fill up or empty, depending on the direction the boat was going, and then the lock open again and the boats pass through. The canal opened in 1913, and is being expanded in the next couple of years. It's definitely an interesting engineering feat to see in person.

A nice, shady little nature walk after the canal.

Ziplining! Who is that teenage boy with the backwards hat in the front?

My mom, Curt and Melanie walked through the rainforest with Hazel and by the pools while the rest of us ziplined. Hazel was hesitant to go to my Uncle Curt when my mom felt it was too steep for her to carry Hazel, but warmed up to him.

These two buddies.

Oh, hey, El Macho.

Hazel loved eating these little octopi in the paella a few of us ordered (which was delicious, with lots of fresh seafood!).