Las Vegas & Idaho Falls

On July 18, we flew to Las Vegas. Our flight was delayed an hour and a half, but we finally got there. Mikayla did great on the airplane. She was happy and slept most of the time. Adam's dad and step mom were both very excited to meet their granddaughter. We stayed with them that night, then the next morning woke up early to fly to Idaho Falls.

We almost missed our plane, though. We had to run through the airport. I mean, we were running!! I had Mikayla in her papoose, and I was booking it through the airport. Mary and Adam were in front of me, trying to get to the plane to make sure it didn't leave. Roy was swiftly walking behind us, bringing up the rear. Only two flights from Vegas fly into Idaho Falls: One on Fridays (ours) and one on Mondays. If we missed it, we were out of luck. Thankfully, we made it just in time!

Idaho Falls was gorgeous! We stayed in a hotel right on the falls. It was so nice. We could walk out on our balcony and see the falls. The roar could lull you to sleep.

It was Mary's side family reunion. She has 6 brothers and sisters, her mother had nine brothers and sisters, and all of those had a lot of kids, so there were about 160+ people at this reunion. Mikayla's cousin Sophie is 6 months old, and Mikayla is bigger than she is! Mikayla and I both enjoyed meeting all the new family members. She was so great. She didn't fuss the whole day! The reunion was held at the 7N Ranch in Ririe, Idaho. It was beautiful. We met at a pavilion with picnic tables and a stage. There were camp sites and a pool within walking distance. The backdrop was beautiful rock mountains.

The next day, we drove to Pocatello, where Adam was born. We drove around and his dad, Roy, showed us the different places Adam lived and the hospital where he was born.

We flew back to Vegas on Monday (the only flight out until the next Friday!) When we got back to Roy and Mary's we decided to take a little swim. Mikayla joined us, and she really enjoys the water! She would kick and look around. She's still not quite sure what to make of it, but I think she enjoys it. She's still too little to splash, but that's right around the corner.

Then on Tuesday, we flew back to the D-F-Dub. Mikayla on all four flights had only minor break downs, and she never really fell apart completely. She should be so proud of herself. Her parents are. She has now been to five states at only 3 and half months old!

Mikayla goes to Colorado

Mikayla made her first major trip this week. We drove to Fort Collins, Colorado, to visit my sister Lauren, her husband Justin and their 12-week-old daughter Sadie. Mikayla did so well in the car on the 14 hour drive; it was truly amazing. On the way up, she slept almost the whole time. She only woke up when we stopped for gas. She would eat; we'd change her; then she would fall back asleep. The way home was a little rougher. She cried because I think she was just tired of being in her car seat. Overall, though, she's a great road-trip companion!

While we were there, we drove up into the mountains. We went to Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Forest. We drove up a road that is closed 9 months out of the year due to bad weather. We went to the highest point on a paved road in the continental U.S. We were 12,183 feet above sea level. It was 32 degrees up there! We had to bundle Mikayla up really tight - she's never known temperatures that low!

Mikayla and Sadie had a lot of fun together. Sadie is all smiles right now, and Mikayla is still learning how to use her smile muscles. She is two months old now, so it shouldn't be much longer before she is all smiles, too!

Sadie and Mikayla are so different. Each of their temperaments is so much like La-La and I were when we were their age. Mikayla is a thinker- very contemplative. She looks like she is trying to figure everything out at once. Sadie is so happy just to be here. She likes being held, and she never sits still.

Fort Collins is such a wonderful town. If Adam and I were to ever move out of Texas, it would definitely be to Fort Collins. It makes it hard when my sister has a baby and I don't get to visit very often. It would be so awesome to live close and raise the girls together. Seeing them twice or three times a year just isn't enough.