a solo vacation

You just got back a couple of days ago from a week in Utah with Mimi and Papa, all by yourself!  It sounds like you loved every minute of it.  I didn't hear much from you and when we did talk, you'd tell me one thing you did that day, and when I'd try to respond with a follow up question, you'd cut me off and shout, "Goo-bye, La you!"  (That's your fast version of Good-bye, I love you.)

Mimi sent me a couple of pictures, but not many.

Here's a few things you did on the trip.

First, you got to fly in a BIG plane, in the SKY!  Your first time in your own seat, because you're too old now to fly free.

 You fed the ducks.

 You fed the llamas.

 You rode on a choo choo train and spent the day playing in downtown Salt Lake.

 You got to go see Monsters University on a BIG tv.  (Your first theater experience and the report was that you loved every minute of it.)

 Then you posed in front of the Planes poster, I can't wait to take you to this one!

You also:
Helped great grandpa Garrett garden.
Had a party with the family for Papa's retirement.
Went out for ice cream.
Went on walks.
Went to Pioneer Day fireworks.
Played at the park.
Went to Cabella's with Papa.
Played basketball at my uncles house. (Mimi's work)
I'm sure the list goes on, you stayed very busy!

You got to spend your last day with Baby Will in St. George.

And then the next day Mimi and Papa drove you to Vegas, and I drove up and met you there.  We had lunch and then had to say good-bye.  I could tell you had a full week, because at lunch you literally fell asleep in mid-chew and would not wake up.  We had to fish the food out of your mouth, and you slept right through it!

And by the looks of these pictures, you have plenty of red shirts.  It's good to have you home!

4th of July

We headed to St. George last minute to spent the 4th of July with Taylor, Samira, and Baby Will. (Papa and Mimi, too.)  Dad had to work the 4th, and all weekend so we went without him.  We tried to go to a parade, but we only made it to the breakfast before we were all to darn hot!  The rest of the weekend was spent in the water or in the AC house.

 You thought you were so funny, "Eatin' the bacon!"

 Uncle Taylor hid you.

 "I'm lightning McQueen! Ka Chow!"

 You were my little helper in the kitchen, like always.

 The only place for you to sleep was in the main living room where all the late night game playing was going on.  You slept though it all every night.

 This was your first year being awake long enough to see fireworks, so we left the men home with the sleeping kids, and you went out with the women to a firework show.  You were mesmerized.

 It was a fun, shot, exhausting, HOT trip!  And you loved every minute of it.

Utah for Great Strides 2013

We spent a week in Utah, mostly for Great Strides and for Mimi's 60th birthday party.  Your cousin, Baby Will, ended up being in Salt Lake the same time we were because he has struggling too much with breathing at home, so they flew him to Primary Children's Medical Center.  The first time we went to see him, he was still in the PICU and you were too young to visit him.  You had a really hard time hearing this and you cried and cried that you wanted to see him.  It broke my heart.  Fortunately, that night he was stable enough to be moved to a regular room, and after dinner you got to visit him.  You were so happy!

You spent a lot of time in the back yard, and in the neighbor's tree house this trip.

 The fish pond at the hospital was being deconstructed while we were there, and the nice guy working on it brought you the bucket of fish to look at.

You love your little cousin so much.  It amazes me and warms my heart to watch you, and to see you really understand than he's sick and that he can't play right now.  And that we need to be quiet at the hospital.  And that we need to wash our hands a lot and be careful when we touch him.  You're just a little sweet heart and I'm really proud of you.  A couple days before we left for Utah I was on the phone with Uncle T.  I was learning new info about Baby Will and I was crying a lot.  You overheard the conversation, and when I was done, you just looked at me for a minute.  Then you said, "No more sad, Mom.  Baby Will better soon."

The 5K we went to Utah for was a success, but a really rainy day.  You stayed inside the ESA with Lulu and Mimi until it got started to you could stay dry.  But you still had fun in the rain.

A couple of months ago, I asked you what we should do for Mimi's birthday, and you said, "Beach Birf-day!!"  That same day I got a party catalog in the mail saying May was national Luau month.  So we had a beach luau.

We had one last good-bye at the hospital, and had to go home.  You've asked several times since if you can go play at Baby Will's house.

 We took a pit stop at Bass Pro Shop in Vegas to stretch our legs for the rest of the drive.  You did great in the car for all those hours.