Utah & Idaho Part 2!

Our Trip to Idaho to visit my dad was followed by a stay in Utah, visiting with Rich's family. It's always a visit I look forward too. This family is so much fun. And the cousins keep coming and coming! Pretty soon we're going to have to meet up at a cabin or something... Nana's house is bursting at the seams when we all show up!

Dominic and Alessandra are like peanut butter and jelly...

... like macaroni and cheese...

... like best buds, forever...

... and I love it. :) Cousins are so great.

We're lucky to have an abundance of them that are all close in age. And we've got another one on the way... congratulations Leslie and Jim!!! Woohooo!

Here's Dom and Ana and Ali playing chase in the front yard with Aunt Mimi (always the favorite... and such a great Aunt) and Papa.

Damon got to spend some time with Nana. I wish we lived closer so that my boys could be around family more often. It makes me feel so happy to see them interact with their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Damon and Donnie are only a few months apart. The last time they met, Dame was a newborn... so this was fun.

I love all these boys. EVERY time we get together, the guys either play board games, basketball, have computer-game wars, go to movies, or something. They love each other. :) Here they are, playing one of Matt and Amber's games in the back yard... I forget the name, but it's fun.

More cousin photos...

Rub-a-Dub-Dub... Naked Babies in the Tub!

Haha! Blackmail photos for later in life...

Rich's parents are awesome. They do so much for all of their kids... and they already have such a full plate. One morning they watched our boys while Rich and I drove up to Sundance. We walked around until we found the hike for Stuart Falls, and then ran the entire hike to the top. It was so much fun and sooo beautiful!

Rich... he saw something moving in the tree.

Hee, hee... we are nerds.

Stuart Falls

The opposite view from the Falls. This is looking down the mountain in the direction of Sundance. Beautiful.

On our way back down...

Oohhh... kind of a mug shot but I'm posting it anyway because we don't get many pictures of just Rich and I without our two little (and wonderful) sidekicks. We had so much fun together on our hiking date. Thanks Mom and Dad! :)

Another thing we did while we were here... something I must do every time we come to Utah... was drive the Alpine Loop. I think that if I lived in the mountains, surrounded by green trees, the smell of the outdoors, and the sound of bubbling creeks... I think I could never get depressed. The mountains are therapy for me. I get such a high... almost a spiritual high... every time we come to Utah and I'm able to get into the mountains. Which isn't surprising, they are God's creations after all. I love them. I wish I could take them back to Arizona with me. The mountains, and our family. Then we'd really be set. :)

Miss Ali-Mae, my cutie-pie niece, celebrated the big 2 while we were there and we were able to come to her party! What great timing.

We love this little girl. (And the little cutie behind her too!)

Auntie Leslie, Damon, and Nana... watching the kiddies play "Pin the Birthday Hat on Ali".

Dom was a little off... and that was even with his eyes open. Hee, hee.

One of the funnest things we did was go to the Hogle Zoo. It rained that day. And I was happy. Rain smells good, I don't see it too often any more... and it's a heck of a lot better to walk around in than 113 degree weather! I had a wonderful time with my sweet sisters-in-law and all their kiddies.

Dominic loves elephants. Loves them.

The babes rode together in Amber's BOB. Aren't they cute!?

It didn't take long before they got sleepy...

Going....... going.........

...gone. :)

Dominic's riding partner was Ana.

Don't let those stone-faces fool you... they had so much fun.

Except for maybe at this moment in time. ;) I always feel the need to post one of these... if I didn't, these memories would be completely unrealistic, because really... this is happening all the time in my life right now. He's so funny.

Auntie Leslie and Ryker

The dynamic duo... checking out the "affs".

Ali, practicing her photography. This was sooo funny! I got her this little fake camera for her birthday. She holds it backwards when she takes a picture... sticking the lens into her eye. In this picture, she is saying, "Cheeeeeeeeese tiger! Cheeeeeese tiger!"

Auntie Amber and Dom, cheking out the tigers.

Dominic, enjoying his first candy necklace ever. It was a hit. :)

I am not surprised.

Dom, getting up-close and personal.

Haha! And this is too stinkin' funny not to post. This is Ana-Banana (as we affectionately call her) on the carousel. And that poor mama trying to pry her off of it? That's my sweet sis-in-law, Amber. Hilarious. I love it. ;)

Needless to say, they were the last ones off... by a long way. Haha!

Dom, on the other hand... well, he started out liking the carousel.

... he even got to sit on the "aff"!

But then...

... the darn thing started moving...

And that's when my little guy usually wants off.

This ride was less painful than past ones though... although both of his arms were wrapped securely around my neck, I managed to not only keep him straddling his giraffe, but also to keep him from losing it altogether. No tears on this ride. ;) Hooray. Brave little soul.

Here's all of us... Top: Amber, Me, Angela, and Leslie

Kiddies: Dom, Ana, Damon, Donnie, Ali, Jo, and Ryker

Before we left for home, we stopped at the zoo's playground and let the munchkins play.

It was such a fun day.

Then again, any day with my family is fun. It doesn't matter what we do.

I love you all so much!!! Thank you for going out of your way to plan some fun activities for us to do while we were there. You guys are the best.

Before we headed for home for Arizona, I was able to visit one more important person.

A trip to Utah wouldn't be complete without seeing Kara-Jo.

This is my best girl. :) We don't get to see each other much, but I love her like crazy.

And this was the 1st time I was able to meet her little "Jett"! He and Damon are only a few weeks apart and Kara and I were able to be prego together. So fun. :) Aren't her kids beautiful?

Future Best-Buds:
Haha! For only being a few weeks apart... Damon dwarfs Jett.

Dominic and Adalyn, playing Lite-Brite.

(Actually Dominic was just messing it up... and Addie was being very patient with him. )

And... this was a big, BIG day for me. Haha!

Kara does hair. Dom does comb-overs.

Until now.

I told Kara I was getting the camera and that I was nervous.

"That's OK," she said. "Just don't cry."

"Oh I won't!" I half-laughed.

And then I quickly swallowed the HUGE lump in my throat and pulled it together.
Why am I such a lame sap!?

We bribed him with Smarties...

... and he willingly sat there as I watched all his hair fall to the ground.

And just like that, he turned into a BIG boy.

Oh. My. Gosh.

And it's sooo-super cute. Thanks Auntie Kara! We love you so much! :)

Well, that was one HECK of a post! I'm surprised if you're still reading. But I had a LOT of fun to catch up on! And I still do. ;) Some day I'll get current.