Family Time

My younger sister was in town a couple of weeks ago from Chicago. We had so much fun together. It had been about 6 1/2 months since we had been together at Christmas time in Alabama. My mom was here as well, and so the four of us girl had a blast! It was so fun just having some girl time. One night we went up to Bridle Veil Falls and had a picnic together as a family, and she took some photos of us. Here are just a couple of the ones she really liked. Dylan did not cooperate very well, and so therefore we did not get as many as we would have hoped for. They are pretty cute though.

Much needed breaks

We had the best weekend ever I think. My parents, and my 2 sisters and their husbands got Greg and I a night away. We went to a little Bed and Breakfast in Provo called the Hines Mansion. It was really nice. We stayed in the room called the Seaside Retreat, and over the door it said Captain's Quarters. It was a small room, but in the bathroom it had a huge jacuzzi tub. It was nice. We went out to dinner at the Macaroni Grill, and then back to the B&B for some much needed R&R. It was so strange not having to worry about anything, and my mom is here from Alabama so she stayed with Dylan while we were away. It was so hard for me to find much more to talk about than Dylan and work, but somehow we managed, and I know that this weekend brought us closer together as a couple. They served us a hot breakfast this morning, and there were 3 other couples who ate with us. One was on their honeymoon, but they were like in their late sixties or so. They were so cute, and said that between the two of them they had 15 children, and I don't know how many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but it was a lot. Another was also on their honeymoon, but they were a lot younger than the first. They were so cute though putting jam on eachother's muffins and such. I remember my honeymoon, and how oblivious I was to everything else around me. Being married, and having kids changes you a lot, and I am happy that they have so much to look forward to. The last was on their 1 year anniversary. They were cute, but almost too polite if you know what I mean. It made me laugh. Then there was Greg and I just there for a break from real life.
I am so thankful for family, and the love that we can all share. My family did this for my birthday next month, but I tell you it couldn't have come at a better time. I guess they figured we hadn't been away together by ourselves since Dylan was born, and he is almost 2 1/2 now. And then now with newbie coming it will probably be a long time again before we can go out together like this. So, to my family we send many thanks for the best weekend you could have ever given us.

July 4th Weekend

We had a very relaxing weekend for Independence Day. We did not do a whole lot, but that is what made it so nice. Greg did work for a little while that day, but it turned out to be a good thing. He came home early, and we had lunch together, which NEVER happens on a weekday, and then we just hung around the house for a couple of hours. I went over and visited one of my good friends in the ward who had a baby boy on May 16th. He is so cute! I hunbg out there for a while and let the kids play. They had house guests at that time, and I have to hand it to them. I could not have done it. I would have gone crazy! Sorry, for those of you who do not know what I am talking about, but that is a entire story all in itself. Well, needless to say she needed a break, and so about 9pm on the 4th she and her family came over to play with fireworks for a while. My in-laws came over as well. It was so fun to watch the kids and see them jump when they were loud. The kids also got a real kick out of the sparklers. It was fun just to see their expressions of awe and amazement. They stayed for about an hour, and then it was off to bed! It was a great time with friends and family. I wanted my sister and her family to also come over, but they ended up with tickets to the Stadium of Fire. They said it was pretty good, but we missed them anyway. Coy, their daughter really loved the Hannah Montana part of it, and so I think it was worth it to have gone. I don't think that is something I would like to do though. The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful and nice. I love it when Greg gets 2 days off in a row, and we get to spend some real time together as a family.

More Later

I know it has been a long time since Ihave updates, and a lot has been happening. First things first though. At the end of June I attende a Relief Society retreat with a good friend of mine in a differebt stake than I am in up at Jolleys Ranch. It was so awesome! I really had a great time, and I felt the sprit too. Some of the speakers I heard were: President Ridges who talked on the Millineum, and Bryce Neubert and his wife talked about their lives together, and Bryce sang a few songfs, and it was just so neat. I had never heard him in person before. We also did a few crafty things, and attende ad class called Fishing for Fun with Preschoolers. That was a fun class, and we got some cute ideas of things tro do with small children. It was just a nice break for me away from the boys. It was the first time I had EVER left Dylan overnight. At first it was hard, and I found myself constantly wondering how he was, and how dad was handling it without me. I had NOTHING to worry about though. They had fun at Grandma's house, and went out to breakfast the next morning. They had a great time together. I think I should do things like that more often. It made me feel kind of sad the next day when I got home though. Dylan was at his Grandma's house playing with some of the younger cousins on the Watts' side, and when I went to go tell him I was there, he could have cared less if I was there or not. I guess in hindesight it was a good thing, but hey after a night away from my baby, I just wanted him to show he was at least glad to see me. I know he was in his own way, and so that is ok.