Ohio 2016

Ohio was so much fun! It was my first trip traveling alone with a baby. It was very interesting haha! Very challenging at times but overall things went pretty smoothly. Hema walked us all the way to our gate and Hendrix was sleeping in his arms. He kissed us goodbye and watched us take off. He missed us so much haha. I thought I was getting lucky walking onto the plane with a sleeping baby but he woke up before take off. Flying standby with a lap child, I got stuck in a middle seat between two men who were sipping verrry slowly on their alcoholic drinks and typing on their laptops. It was pretty difficult to keep my wiggling boy from knocking their drinks over, touching and taking all their stuff. But both men were patient and kind to Hendrix and were very understanding. We survived!

The purpose of our trip was to visit my very best friend and cousin Heather and her family! Heather was so kind to cancel all her plans that day so she could come pick us up from the airport. It was so much fun to just be with Heather, it really is therapeutic for me to be able to be with a close family member and friend. Heather cooked me gourmet meals, put me up in a nice room, and took me to do all sorts of fun things. But my favorite part of all was just being with her and talking with her and sharing her life for a short time.


First night there we had a hair night! Jeff was so nice to stay up and help watch and play with Hendrix who wasn't sleeping. Hendrix would cry every time Jeff walked away from him.

The Toone's took us to the most beautiful pumpkin patch in Michigan. It was the most clean, well kept piece of land that I've ever seen! Everything was trimmed perfectly and they had the most adorable displays and games for the kids.

The most interesting thing about this pumpkin patch were all the religious references! I've never seen anything like it, it was so fun. Afterwards we got some delicious, warm doughnuts from the little country store.

Jeff was also so nice and patient and took lots of pictures for us!

Driving through Ohio and Michigan is one of my favorites. It is so so pretty!! And so is this chica!

The cutest little kiddies!

Hendrix could not stop kissing this sweet baby! She is so patient and sweet.

Love these beautiful girls!!

Later that day, Jeff took the girls while we took a beautiful, scenic drive to old town Grand Rapids Ohio. I have never seen so many beautiful homes and such beautiful property! There's also a river that runs through the city and lots of adorable buildings and cute little shops. We walked around main street and explored all the little shops and just enjoyed our time!

Because she's adorable. And beautiful. And so kind.

After we went to a fun dinner together and Heather took me to this really yummy place! That night we talked, watched a movie, talked, talked, talked. It was so fun.

Always cherish my time with Heather! She is such a good friend to me and an even better example to me. Thanks Heather, your my bestest friend and your friendship and kindness mean the world to me! I know you'll see this cuz you're the only one who reads this blog haha!! Love your guts!!

Flying home was crazy! It was a long day and we got bumped from a lot of flights but there were so many people who showed us lots of kindness and helped me out! Waiting at one of the gates, the desk agent brought out snacks for me and Hendrix cuz she knew we had been waiting a long time. A man in McDonalds helped me by carrying the high chair and getting napkins for us. A cute young couple tried to give us their seats so we could get on the flight. And lots of other sweet tender mercies that made my day easier. We got on the last flight of the day and made it home safely and Hema was at the gate waiting and it all worked out just fine! Good to be home again but I wish I could just live in the same neighborhood as Heather! I could live anywhere in the world if Heather was close by!!

On the flight home Hendrix fell asleep flossing his teeth. It was hilarious!

Oregon 2016

In October we had the opportunity to go visit some family in Oregon! It was a very special occasion because we were celebrating my Grandma Edna's 90th birthday. I have always adored my grandma Edna and cherished the relationship i have with her. Most of our relationship was based around when I was very little. She married my grandpa Harold when I was probably only 1. Growing up she made me several beautiful dresses. I loved just going to her house to hang out with her. She would let me help her fill her bird feeder, mow her lawn, take her dog Socky on walks, and teach me to play games. She always kept bananas and toaster strudels in her house just for me. My grandpa passed away when I was 7 or 8 and a few years later she remarried and moved away to Oregon with her new husband. I was so heartbroken when she moved and unfortunately our relationship didn't continue to grow. I have always regretted this as an adult and so if I have an opportunity to bond with her, I take it. I like to think I'm her favorite. She travelled all by herself to come to my wedding. That's a big trip to do alone for an older person!
I loved going to visit her as an adult. I have come to love, appreciate, and respect her even more. When I first walked into the room, she said "who are you again?" my heart dropped a little. But she quickly remembered and started talking about memories she had of me. She said I would eat all her mentholatum and pour lotion onto her carpet and rub it in real nice. She said that I was really good at hiding from her. She really still has a pretty sharp mind for a 90-year-old and she still has a quick wit. I was always surprised at her witty comebacks to my uncles and cousins. Her and Hendrix became fast friends and had an instant love for each other, which I so appreciated because grandma Edna is my only living grandparent.
Edna Winifred is an extraordinary woman. I have come to appreciate the unique perspective that she has compared to other people in her age group that I know. She is so accepting, patient, and non-judgmental.  Grandma Edna joined the church when she was a bit older and already had children. Since that time, she has been divorced, lost a few husbands, and has been able to bring one of her five children into the gospel. She has so many people who love her and she is someone who is so easy to serve and love. She loves easily and isn't afraid to show it.
Happy 90 years, my sweet, wise grandma! You are such a powerful example to me.

My grandma and her children! At her party we played some fun games and got to hear a lot about my grandma and her past. We stayed with my aunt and uncle again in their trailer. Hendrix loved feeding their chickens and picking up apples from the ground. He instantly made friends with everyone, and all my family adored him. He loved playing with my cousin's children. They were so good with him! They helped watch him and play with him, and one of them even sewed him an adorable little pillow. It was so fun to visit with family and get to know a lot of them better. Lebanon is such a cute little town. On Sunday we went to church and had such an uplifting experience! Then we went for a drive around the countryside and it's just beautiful. Later we drove out to the coast where we went to the Newport Aquarium and visited some beautiful beaches. It was a fun little afternoon for our family and it was fun to see a little bit of the coast of Oregon.

Hendrix has to put his mouth on everything. You know, because. The aquarium had a really unique outdoor space that was fun to see!

At this beach there were several surfers just camping, surfing and hanging out. Such a different place to hang out... its cold and there's nowhere to get dry! If you look really closely to the picture above, you can see several little dots in the waves, those are surfers haha. Or maybe just dirt on your screen.

A stranger took this pic for us and I was like.. pshhh we can do better with a self timer...

See? haha

Hendrix loved stomping in the water! We had to keep pulling him away. Oh and my hair looks so good in humidity! Haha

The next day we spent time in Portland area and went to Cathedral park, Rose Test Gardens, ate at food trucks, and visited the Portland temple. And I think Hema must have the pictures of us at temple? Oh well. We also got ice-cream at Salt and Straw and ate at a local Shari's where an old man bought an ice-cream sundae just for Hendrix :) Portland is fun but it's probably not the most family friendly place for Hendrix's age group. We were running out of options and Hendrix started running low on patience. So we went home a little early and it was fun to relax and let Hendrix run and play.

Still thinks plants are funny for some reason!

This is why I don't take many selfies haha!

The happiest, craziest little boy! He's ALL BOY!

I thought I saw a sign that said Hendrix and something about disguises, so went spent a good half hour looking for the store again to see what it was all about. Sounded cool! But it wasn't cool, and it was closed haha. We also stopped by the soccer stadium for Hema.

Oregon was a blast and we are so happy we were able to be there to celebrate our Edna!