Livin' it up in Utah!

David has been bugging me to blog and since he's done the last 10 entries or so, I guess it's my turn. I've just been out having too much fun to spend time on the computer to blog. I have been thoroughly enjoying my time in Utah. I miss my family terribly and it is so nice to see them every single day for weeks! If I'm not careful, I trick myself into thinking that I live here. Besides my family, I also miss living in the Salt Lake valley. I have almost wrecked my car at least 3 or 4 times now looking at the sky and the mountains. I cannot get enough of the huge expanse of blue sky, puffy white clouds, and giant peaks poking through them that you can see here. I feel like I can really breathe here. When I'm in New England I get so claustrophobic in the endless trees and leaves. I realize that the sky and weather isn't always like this in Salt Lake, but it is a lot of the time and I truly miss it. It feels so refreshing.


Anyway, Grace and Harriet and I have done a lot of hanging out with my sisters and my mom and my little nephew. We came a week before David did and got a lot of girl time in.
This past week we've moved to David's parents house and have gotten some more grandparent time in along with some Aunt Christine time. We also got a rare opportunity to see David's brother, John's family the first week-end we were here. Grace absolutely adores all of her grandparents and aunts. She has a hard time deciding which one she'd rather be with. It's hard to rip her away from one to go see another and then the same again when we have to leave that one. Harriet has been a trooper going from place to place with us and letting new people hold her. She's getting to know everyone much better. I know she won't remember them, so we'll just have to keep flying back and forth. Somehow though, I think she remembers my sister Emily, who was one of 4 family members to come and see her as a tiny baby. Emily is the only one who can pick her up and have Harriet instantly snuggle up and quiet down. Emily and Harriet can snuggle for hours at a time. I desperately want Harriet and Grace to have strong connections with our families and to really feel bonds with each grandparent, aunt, uncle and cousin for the time being. I realize that as you get to be an adult, your extended family becomes more extended, but for now I feel it's really important and I want them to have every opportunity to have a close-knit family.

So, here are some pictures of our "hanging-outs." We have been to lunch a bunch of times. We have played "beauty shop" with Aunt Jess. (She does our hair every time we come to Salt Lake - both of us look much better!)
Harriet went swimming for the first time at Aunt Em's pool and really liked the water. Grace is having her first sleep-over tonight with Aunt Em and Jess. Well, as I wrote that last sentence, Emily called to say that Grace wanted me to come and pick her up (10:30.) So, the sleep-over didn't last too long. I guess that they had fun though and had pizza and colored and played the piano and played with Emily's kitties (so Grace reports). She came home wearing jammies with teeth brushed so she must have almost made it. 3 and a half years old is a bit young to stay the night away from your mom, so I knew it would probably end short anyway. Better 10:30 pm than 2:30 am!