...are all of Ryan's favorite things in Utah.
Oh, what a wonderful trip! I made a quick trip up to Utah to visit Mom and Dad, and to have reprieve of my 4 mile radius of my life (I can only get as far away as I can run back, unless kindly neighbors take pity on me!)
It was a joyous trip. Days spent busily doing errands and fun, nights spent recovering and chatting. I love Mom and Dad's back porch swing, their cozy home, their yummy food, and their willingness to help me out! It's always comfortable, going home. It's even better having adult companions during the day to laugh at all the fun Baby Ryan makes!
Ryan's highlights of the trip:
--GRASS. Oh boy, this kid loves being let loose on green, lush, non-dog-poo'd, thick grass! (of course he'd also love to be let loose on the trampled thin LA grass, but since it gives me a panic-germ-attack we try to avoid that!)
--PLAYING! Resting before his ballgame with Grandma...
...And, Play Ball!!!
ohhhh, more grass!!!
--MORE PLAYING! Playing in the bucket I used to play in when I was his size. This brought back such memories! I think I tried to squeeze in when I was 6.
--Blowing Bubbles on the grass with Grandma:
--SWINGING and swinging with Grandpa:
--LEAVES . Ryan likes us to pick a leaf for him and then he'll hold it as long as we'll let him!
Don't worry, Mom knows me well and offered to clean off the swing before Ryan sat in it!
Oh, I just love this little man.
This is a random sidenote, but have you ever seen a leaf bug? (i'm sure that's their technical name). I was looking for a leaf for Ryan to play with, and didn't have my glasses on, so i almost walked over and picked it up! I'm sure glad I didn't, it was scary enough for me to just see it!
On Tuesday, Angie and Pat and the kiddies came up to lunch! It was so fun to see and catch up with Ang, and fun to have Ryan interact with her kids! Thanks for coming up so I could see you!
Aren't they adorable??
Had a quick chance to meet some friends pretty close to Mom and Dad's house on Thursday. It's been too long, and it was so fun to see you guys!
Also got to have brunch with this fine lady, Amy Harper! It's been 7 years since we saw each other, and so much has happened in that time. Namely, I think we grew into a friendship--one that I really really like. Something good should be said about reading blogs and staying up via social networking sites. It might be years before we see people, but it is so fun/easy to catch up and come together--and maybe the insight of reading someone's blog allows us to see how we've all changed, grown, and expanded our knowledge about life, people, and love. I have so much respect for Amy--her hopefulness and positive outlook on life is contagious! And...baby Ryan LOVED her!
I also got to surprise Cara right before I left, thanks to her hubby Brandon. They were headed to Lehi for the weekend, and Brandon arranged for me to meet Cara at the Gateway! It was so fun to see her, to catch up and just talk and shop for a bit. As always, time is too limited, but it's the "moments" that I'll treasure! That rendezvous was followed by a fun drive to see Donker and her family. We enjoyed cupcakes and each other, it's always so fun to see Ryan with other kiddos, they were so nice to him! (And I forgot to take pictures of both of these, sorry!)
Before I knew it, back to the big city. I wish I would have had more time and had the chance to meet up with SO many more people, it's always a difficult thing to be time-limited in a place where everyone is gathered--I would have loved to see all the people I LOVE!
I have to express a HUGE thanks to Mom and Dad for such a GREAT trip. It was SO fun to stay with them, so fun to share my baby boy with them. I am SO grateful for their help, it was a respite I desperately needed and am so grateful for. I love you Parents, thank you so so so much!
After seeing this scraggly boy, I realized I could not wait another month until his first birthday to do something about his hair! So...since it's his 11 month birthday today, I figured we'd celebrate with a haircut!
...and I got new shoes!
...and I look just like my dad!
I'm also a computer genius like Dada.
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Angie sent me this awesome recipe, and it was delicious! Nothing like "almost too much chocolate" (if that's possible!)
Ryan Loved Crawling up the steps! Practice makes perfect, and not broken heads, right?
My version of the "Panorama"
A closer view...
...and even closer! (can you believe the detail that goes into this!?!? I could never be an artist!)
ohhhh, more grass!!!
--MORE PLAYING! Playing in the bucket I used to play in when I was his size. This brought back such memories! I think I tried to squeeze in when I was 6.
--Blowing Bubbles on the grass with Grandma:
--SWINGING and swinging with Grandpa:
--LEAVES . Ryan likes us to pick a leaf for him and then he'll hold it as long as we'll let him!
Don't worry, Mom knows me well and offered to clean off the swing before Ryan sat in it!
Oh, I just love this little man.
This is a random sidenote, but have you ever seen a leaf bug? (i'm sure that's their technical name). I was looking for a leaf for Ryan to play with, and didn't have my glasses on, so i almost walked over and picked it up! I'm sure glad I didn't, it was scary enough for me to just see it!
Aren't they adorable??
Also got to have brunch with this fine lady, Amy Harper! It's been 7 years since we saw each other, and so much has happened in that time. Namely, I think we grew into a friendship--one that I really really like. Something good should be said about reading blogs and staying up via social networking sites. It might be years before we see people, but it is so fun/easy to catch up and come together--and maybe the insight of reading someone's blog allows us to see how we've all changed, grown, and expanded our knowledge about life, people, and love. I have so much respect for Amy--her hopefulness and positive outlook on life is contagious! And...baby Ryan LOVED her!
I also got to surprise Cara right before I left, thanks to her hubby Brandon. They were headed to Lehi for the weekend, and Brandon arranged for me to meet Cara at the Gateway! It was so fun to see her, to catch up and just talk and shop for a bit. As always, time is too limited, but it's the "moments" that I'll treasure! That rendezvous was followed by a fun drive to see Donker and her family. We enjoyed cupcakes and each other, it's always so fun to see Ryan with other kiddos, they were so nice to him! (And I forgot to take pictures of both of these, sorry!)
