road trippin'

We survived 59 hours on the road through 12 states and 4 time zones, 

with 2 of the most patient little road-trippers ever.

Hitting the road

Saying good-bye to beautiful Virginia

Our overpacked team in the backseat

The mystery smoke cloud we saw in Wyoming, possibly a volcano erupting

The messes were worth it if they kept her happy

Finding the Stig

Finally on our new home turf. FINALLY!

VA to TN to AL to MS to AR to OK to KS to CO to WY to UT to ID to OR... may we not see that route again for a long, long time.

utah ties

I love visiting Utah. We both have so many ties there that we could seriously spend weeks doing everything we want to do and seeing everyone we want to see.

So whilst we were there, we got to see...

Our dear VA friends, the Hutchisons,

our beloved friends from college, the Allers,

and our good ol' alma mater, the BYU.

And you'll love this: the Allers were kind enough to watch Addy in the BYU bookstore while we bought a few things (including chocolate-covered cinna bears... oh baby). They were letting them play with some watches, but they put them all back. They thought. We got half-way across campus before we realized Addy had fallen asleep with one solitary stolen watch. 

She'll never make it into BYU with that on her record.

Thanks, Utah. We can't wait to think of an excuse to come back!

utah-ing

After Denver, we headed to Utah to stay with Doug's sister, Kadi, and her fam. Fun family times followed (alliteration... woot woot!).

Hogle Zoo + Thompson cousins

Gracie meeting more and more cousins

Playing at City Creek

Stylish shoes 

Cheesing it for the Beehive State

delightful denver

Next stop: Denver... to stay with my sister, Jessica, and her fam.

Addy loved all the cousin time... I swear we hardly saw her

Self explanatory, no?

So get THIS: one evening a ridiculous storm came through that put us in the basement for a few hours. Seven tornadoes came through, the hail was inches deep (our poor car), and the lightning was non-stop for hours. I have honestly never experienced a storm like that. And yes, I am a tornado magnet. 

Watching the storm when things were less scary

Checking out the new elephant pad at the Denver Zoo

Gooooo Cougars!

Costa Vida, baby!

Yes, that's a mohawk. And yes, it lasted long enough for him to go into public like that. The children were afraid.

Pool time

Gracie met more and more cousins!

  

 We had a blast and felt very loved by the Mortensens, tornadoes and all.

the bama

After leaving Richmond, our first stop was Alabama. It's always ALWAYS fun to see Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Jim (or Grandma Jim, as Addy would say).

Helping Grandma do the flowers at the Birmingham Temple

Sizing up her Grandparents

Playing at the splash pad

This was Gracie's first time meeting Grandpa Jim. If we ever wanted Grace to take a nap, we gave her to him. It was a magical.

The beach at a local lake... way fun and un-gross (a requirement for me when swimming in a lake) 

Playing at the sweet Children's Science Museum downtown. And yes, I matched Addy to her Grandma on purpose. Yes!!! 

gracie girl

This Ben Folds song may just kill me.

And so what if it makes me cry every time. DON'T JUDGE ME!

pre-graduation

We had a lot of non-graduation f-u-n with Doug's parents before graduation and both our families during graduation. (Using graduation 3 times in one sentence=good writing)

Checking out a Civil War battlefield

Williamsburg on a rainy day

Addy's impressed by rainy Williamsburg

Good parenting

We left them there for a few days

Buzz & Ned's BBQ with our fams (one of the best BBQ places in Richmond)

Celebrating graduation and Lucy's 3rd birthday

Maymont Park with the fams