Some Inspiration

I found this blog series done by a social work researcher and mother all about Imperfect Parenting. Very inspirational! I especially liked the entries about Being Still and Embracing Imperfection. We can all use this.

Cousins

The other bonus of being in Utah so often lately is seeing all the cousins. The instant we get to the Paynes, Eleanor disappears with Natalee and Carson. It was so fun to see Addie growing up so quickly. And a special treat to have Eleanor and Lilly together. Wish they lived closer! Lilly is a pretty bashful little one, so getting her to sit with you or smile at you is a special treat. It doesn't take her long to warm up to Eleanor though. Those two spent almost two hours sitting under the dining table playing with magnets and just giggling together this weekend. That was just adorable. I bonded with her over some Sonic ice - love that stuff! She even warmed up enough to let Gavin hold her upside down and tickle her. Hopefully she still remembers us next time we get together.

An Unexpected Trip

With our unexpected trip to Utah this weekend for my Grandmother's funeral, we have been in Utah in May, June, July, and now September! Yikes. It is great to be together with our family that often, but wow. Hopefully I'll forget how much I dislike that drive before Christmas time. This lovely through-the-windshield picture is just to prove that it was indeed perfectly clear and not the least bit windy driving through Laramie yesterday! I'm sure those days are very few and far between.

Now that we're getting so used to I-80 driving, I finally had Gavin stop at this spot I always long to take a picture of when we pass by. It's somewhere between Rawlins and Laramie - Gavin marked the GPS coordinates for me in case you'd like them. :)

A Long Life

My grandmother passed away last Friday. She was 93! I bet she never expected to live that long since she was orphaned by the age of 6. Here is the program I made for her funeral. The flowery paper is actually a picture I took of wallpaper from her beautiful, historic home. So glad we just saw her in July, so glad Eleanor will have some memories of her, and so glad we could be there for the funeral this weekend.