Summer Vacation

After two weeks of summer school (which I LOVE every summer) and a week of professional development (which, this year, I also loved) it is finally time for some vacation.

Unfortunately the whole crew could't go, but Ethan and I have headed out to Utah to see the other kids and grandkids!  Ethan was soooo excited for the plane ride.  He hasn't been on a plane for almost 8 years!  It was thrilled and was sure the clouds were pirate ships and Santa was up there somewhere (of course).

We landed early, early in Houston and Ethan was able to get an egg sandwich. That boy loves eating!

The airport in Houston had a beautiful display of artwork from the Children's Hospital.  We spent quite a bit of time looking at it all.

"Bro" was on Ethan's mind the whole way.  We text him in Houston, we text him when we landed, we text him when we got to Megan's house.  Finally, "Bro" came after work and life was good again.

I forgot what nice weather there is here.  And I forgot what it was like to go outside without humidity.  I forgot what it was like to go outside without being attacked by bugs.  And I forgot what it was like to walk barefoot on a cool green lawn.  Ha.....

We have spent a lot of time outside playing baseball.  The kids are cracking me up with their batting skills.

Ethan has developed some sort of nervous tick over the last five days.  I am not sure why.  He also has a lot of imaginary friends, who, apparently, have taken vacation with us.  He sat on the porch and talked with his friends while we played baseball.  Claire went up to him and asked "Who are you talking to, Ethan?"

Now that Ethan is older he is more of a "real" Uncle.  He took the little ones for a ride around the neighborhood in the wagon.  Joseph isn't upset, he just has sun in his eyes.  Look at the beautiful mountains in the background!!!

Joseph, who is 21 months, has a very large vocabulary and uses a lot of big words for a boy his age, like "argue".    He really cracks me up because he absolutely understands everything you say and uses a lot of logic for an almost two-year-old.  Of course, as his grandma, I think he is super smart :-)

I don't think he looks like the rest of the kids, however.  Everyone else does, but I don't.  He is blond and blue-eyed like Claire, but Claire didn't have any noticeable hair until she was like 4 (bit of an exaggeration, but still....)

More to come.  Like a close up of Jack's wild hair and our adventurous outings. We hope to go up to Salt Lake to Temple Square, the art museum at BYU, the Creamery (of course), and picnics up in the mountains.  Bryan is taking a couple of days off and we hope to see Logan soon.  He has some sort of stomach bug and we kindly told him to stay away until he was better :-)

We want to move here, but there are so many obstacles in the way, not the least of which is the Bike shop.  But I would love to live closer if we could find jobs and I could find a good place for Ethan to go to school.

We will have to see.........