it's a wild ride, Utah!

We're here in Utah and it has been so nice being with family, seeing a few friends, and just enjoying the sunshine! That and my family are the two things I wish I could take back to Virginia with me.

Anyway - here are a few pics of our adventures as of late. Sorry they aren't quite in order:

believe it or not, looking back, working in the garden and eating the fresh produce are some of my favorite childhood memories. I'm so glad Mason is getting a glimpse of it here.

cousin fun

Sister Kirby's house is the party house

Scofield - where my Dad tended sheep for much of his life

teaching his grandsons how to build a fire :)

can i say that this boy loves dirt?

taking a ride around the mountains was a huge highlight - that fresh mountain air, while my Dad would stop and tell us stories about skinning a bear here, or Mom nearly losing control of the truck and riding it off the mountain because of break loss

hiking Stuart Falls with the Erickson Family and Mom and Dad. Such a fun day

irrigation days - Stan loves throwing rocks in the ditch and seeing the circles of water that follow

Stanley felt in his element I think in the Mountains

that tree where my Dad carved all of our names

something I think out of a Norman Rockwell painting - this camper took my family on many a dream vacation across the US

and that double rainbow was the perfect ending to a perfect day

Shirley and I checking out the Church History Museum with Salt Lake Sisters - Jenet, Ellen, and Sally

enjoying some shade outside of the Church History Museum

this Temple - where it all started

a continual fascination with trains

lunch at the Salt Lake City Creek Mall - this boy cracks me up with his faces!

a motorcycle ride with Uncle Rich - Mason has mentioned it a few times since the last time Uncle Rich gave him a ride.

Making apricot Jam with Grandma

Grandma made them 'green eggs and ham' this morning for breakfast after reading that book with Mason yesterday, and as you see, Mason was pretty excited about it!

That time when Grandma and Mason and Will came out of the bushes with their arms full of western coneflowers to throw at us :). 

so fun to meet up with Nate's Arizona Grandparents. We love them!

fishing with Uncle Jason and Aunt Ashley

We've also gone to 7 Peaks for my niece's birthday party, to the Temple a couple of times with my sisters, swimming with cousins, out to lunch and play dates with friends from here and Charlottesville, and a lot of sweet time with Nate's family at their cabin or at their home or at the splash pad. I'm so lucky to have married into and been born into such kind families.