Meeting Kate

After so much planning and anticipation to see little Kate, we finally made it to Salt Lake on October 9th. We had to delay our trip even 2 days later than we wanted so that Grace could be in her Kindergarten class picture. As I was packing, I started getting sick. This is not good considering Melissa is even a bigger germ freak than I am. I knew she would not let me see Kate or let my kids play with Sean unless we were totally healthy. We had just gotten Grace over a cold and we weren't sure about Hattie either. I was dying. I thought we might not get to see them before we left if my virus went through all of us.
Luckily, a kind-hearted instacare doc gave me some drugs the second we landed in SLC and Harriet and Grace stayed healthy. I finally got to hold Kate a few days later (me under a quilt!) and then a few days after that I really got to snuggle her and smooch her. Well, I guess I got to do it a couple of times anyway. It was so hard to wedge my way in to take her from Hattie! Harriet clocked more Kate holding time than the rest of the family combined. I don't think even Melissa has held her that long if you take away nursing time.

We love that little Kate girl. She is everything you could want from a little baby. She's healthy, strong, not too fussy, and simply adorable. I can't wait to see her develop her personality and get to know me and play with my girls.
After finally getting better, the weather turned from cold and snowy to warm and sunny, and we had a great finish to the trip. We didn't have long, but we were able to fill our buckets with family time. This is the best cure for everything. Grace and Hattie love their aunts and uncles. They adore their grandpas and tolerate the grandmas. We're not sure why the sour faces with the grandmas. We know they love them deep down because of other things they do when grandma isn't looking, but they sure do put on a poker face when a grandma tries to get some love in person. Still it is so nice to have a grandma or grandpa to help and play.

My favorite things from the trip:

1- waking Hattie up at 3:30am to drive to the airport - she opened her eyes and said "ready go on a airpane?!" She had been asking to get on the plane for days.

(Hattie and Grace take the airplane safety seriously!)

2- Hearing Grace tell me that "the only thing that cares (matters) is that we have fun." She told me this after I stopped quick with the car and Aunt Christine's birthday cakes went flying and got smashed on the floor.

(thanks for waiting 2 days for your birthday party Christine!)

3- Seeing Grace play with Grandpa Earl. He is her lifelong love.

4- Meeting Kate

5- Holding Kate

6- Kissing Kate

7- Watching Hattie hold Kate
8- getting to see Jessica for a couple of days and staying up late with her - thanks for the great hair cuts!9- seeing Grace wrap her arms and legs around Aunt Emmie. They are kindred spirits, soul sisters, and best buds.
10- Staying up WAY too late with my mom to talk and watch funny TV and SNL clips online. We can't get enough of Sarah Palin and Tina Fey!
11- Taking the kids for a ride in Grandpa Lyle's cool car.
12- Playing Uno with Hattie everywhere we went. She's pretty good, but after a while, she gets too upset and I finally had to put the game away. (will someone please fly to Boston and play Uno with Hattie?!!!)
13- Getting to see my friend Molly and going for a walk in the beautiful Park City weather.

14- Reconnecting with a former student, Adrienne. She and I have been e-mailing for a few months now and have discovered that we are kindred spirits too. She is 10 years younger than me, attending the U, applying to med school, and doing all of the college student things. But, we have so much in common it's scary. I hadn't seen her in 5 years. We went to a movie together and then talked until 1:30 in the morning in her driveway. I wish I had the presence of mind to snap pictures when I'm with friends, but the camera instinct only comes out when I've got my kids with me. I'll have to embarrass Adrienne by throwing in a picture she sent me of her as homecoming queen at the U last month. I hope she decides to attend med school here in Boston so we can hang out more!
15. Have to add one more...I was SO HAPPY to find a quilt for Hattie at Gardner Village! I've been working on this bedroom since our last Utah trip and it is finally done now. I found the absolute PERFECT quilt that exactly matches the room and Grace's quilt and it was even a BARGAIN. I'm still giddy from finding it!

I guess I had too many favorites. I could keep going too. As always, we are so grateful to everyone who helped us get to Salt Lake and have a great visit. We are especially grateful to David who took us to the airport at 4am and who is left home alone while we are gone.

Now, we have to get through a long, cold, New England winter. I'm not sure when we will be back to Utah. It will depend on lots of things. Now that Grace is in school, I have to be more careful with travel. She's already missed 11 days of kindergarten and it's only October! We'll look forward to having a few visitors here around the holidays and then I may have to see a therapist to get through the rest of the cold winter months.