Dear Utah, Family, Friends, Grateful Heart (and a new header!)

first off..I LOVE this song. "A Beautiful Day" found it on GMA. Robin Roberts

wrote it when she had cancer...

such a positive song!

What a trip!

I had a blast.

I couldn't wait.

My 3 days were booked:

Family, Friends, Sisters, Brothers...
and uhhh...ALL my favorite spots I soooo miss!

Like Cafe Rio, a pink sugar cookie from QB,

Kneaders French Toast, Sweet Tooth Fairy.

(oh Colorado you need to get on it!)

The best parts???

My nieces & nephews. my sissas. my friends.

I am simply so blessed.

Oh my little nieces and nephews.

I miss their little faces. so much.

Being away makes you so grateful.

Grateful for family, friends.

It tightens the bond you have.

It makes you realize the love you have.

My heart was so full on this trip.

It was perfect for me.

Thanks Ry for sending me home whenever I need a "fix!"....

My sister Brooke picked me up at the airport and off we went!

She took me straight to the Quiletd B to get a pink sugar cookie and diet coke.

My sis knows me well.

We had a couple of hours alone to chat and it was fabulous.

I love this girl. She is one of the strongest ladies I know.

We met some of the sisters and bro's at Cafe Rio for lunch!

It was great to see all of their faces!

The pork salad is divine. the best ever. We all ate and chatted away...Misty and Brooke!

It was so sweet of my family.

Many of them got off work, got babysitters,

got their hubbys to help...just to hang with me!

We had our weekend booked.

I invited one and all to come.

With 8 siblings in the valley, there are many to see :) yay

After Rio, I wanted to go with my sisters to the school to pick op the kids.

It was my old stomping grounds.

My house I built in 2009 sits 15 feet from the school. (love u house!)

It was so fun to see all the nighborhood kids.

I saw some of my twins friends and they were super excited to talk..

We are setting up a xmas party for all the kiddos to get together again.

Then we hung at my sis's Amber's house and talked and talked....

It was like the good ole days, never skipping a beat!

I love that I can come home and it feels like home instantly.

We all met up for dinner and a LATE movie. We chatted the night away.

WE hit La Hacienda and then the Sweet Tooth Fairy for dessert!

The next day, Kneaders for Breakfast and Christmas shopping at the mall!
(my cute niece Ali! Misty's oldest daughter!) My sis Jan on the phone! and her 2 daughters...Maddie and Savannah too!

In the afternoon I met up with my girlfriends!

Rob, Nat and Me!

I love these girls.

10 plus years of friendship.

These girls are my best friends.

With moving, I feel like it tightened our bond.

You realize how lucky you are to have such a great friends.

(Dani, Rob, Me, Nancy, and Nat)

It means so much.

It was such a great night. We had dinner in a winter Utah blizzard!

We talked and talked...

I got to visit Kim!

A friend I love and have been so lucky to know for 10 plus years!

Thanks to my sis Misty for being the best hostess and

letting me stay there the first night!

The second night I went up to the Mountain House

(in the blizzard, got stuck and had to walk....!)

WHat a life. I feel so blessed. So grateful.

I have love all around and I feel it.

With my fam in friends in Utah and IN Colorado,

I couldn't ask for a better life.

Love Ry and my kids w all my heart!

Have a great Thanksgiving week...

xo!

(next pic is the post I wrote the day I got back :)

*This is a pic of me walking up to the Mountain House with my parents.

They picked me up from a late dinner with friends and a SNOW STORM

hit the valley! (ohhh I loved it!)

We got stuck at the bottom of the neighborhood and had to walk up

to the Mountain House! (fun, fun!)

I was definitely HOME....Utah weather!

( I miss the big snow storms!)

It was nostalgic!

My Utah Post later.

Thanksgiving is here. so much to do.

o buy, to cook, to organize, to plan...You get it!

(and a race (Ashlyn and I) to prepare for on Thanksgiving :) yay!)

loves!

Utah LOVE. Colorado FUN. Family VISIT

Mace. Boulder. Pearl Street. The Candy Shop
My kids favorite store.

I love this pic..Mace and his scary face and the Halloween window

(Looking AT the window...reflection is Pearl Street.)

We love visitors. We love to show them what CO is all about.

My kids especially love to hang with their Utah family.

It was my parents first time out. and Austin's favorite cousins!

(they grew up together.)

We couldn't wait to have them arrive at our door!

And when they arrived...off we went.

So much to do and explore, it was hard to pick what to do..

We tried to do a little of everything...

We had a blast.

I didn't have to entertain much, they were so happy to just be together.

The kids were loving their cousin time!

hikes, lakes, fishing, Boulder, candy shop, movies, fire pits..

We did as much as we could fit in!

But I think Eldorado was one of their favorite afternoons

We stopped off at a perfect picnic location:

bridge, mountain water, cave, and lots of climbing rocks.

It is also the place where Boulder people come climb!

crazy (but so brave)! we watched them all afternoon

(do you see the kids??)

The kids were happy.

They hiked, explored and ran around.

And yes, in the pics, they are holding a snake.

Ashlyn wanted to pick it up...Grandpa told her not to,

but she couldn't help herself...she picked up the water snake and showed it off....

all the kids wanted turns

(sorry Amber and Misty...We told them to NOT to!)

They quickly held it and let it go back to it's hole.
The pic underneath we were all watching a rescue in progress.

A mountain climber fell and 15 plus Boulder RESCUE crew

were immediately up on the mountain.

They were carrying down the climber on a board.

Interesting to watch...(the climber was ok)

Such beautiful views...we love this hike.

It is easy and quick.

At the top we get to see Boulder valley

and then watch the mtn climbers at their level....scary!

Ry and Mace..(boys up ahead..)

see the views! Lovely.

And yes the mountains were a green and red color...

awesome!

Me and my mama! :)

WE ventured to Pearl Street.

One of our favorite places.

There is so much to do..great shopping, food and entertainment.

The kids had a great time...especially the candy store!

We ate street side pizza (yum!), gelato,

watched people perform, (sing, play guitars, etc),

we fed squirrels and bought little trinkets.

My mom and I ended it with chocolate Rice Krispies

from the Rocky Mtn Choc.

OH. so. good!

IN the evenings the boys just played and played.

On Saturday after the corn maze and Pearl Street, RY and Gpa took the boys to

fish at Thomas Lake. (no pics)

They all caught a few...they each hooked their own pole and fished away...

The other nights, we did a fire in our backyard and told ghost stories.

We ended it with GmA and Gpa telling us stories of their childhood...!

We had the greatest weekend...Mom and Dad and the cousins.

WE had a blast...

dinners, fishing, Boulder, corn mazes, movies, hikes, Pearl Street,

late night fire pit's, lake walks, exploring, Eldorado...

we had a fabulous 3.5 days.

we loved it.

good bye my Utah family!

I love u!

picture: Eldorado. Fowler Hike.

At the top...the colors of the mountains...so beautiful!

goodbye!

Utah. Love. Family. Friends. Good times.

Oh Utah.

I loved you.

I had. so. much. fun:

The family, sissa's, friends, the sunshine, bbq's, pools...

Here are some of my favorite pics:

It was like I never left. I was back in Utah and it felt so good. Austin and I jumped on a plane (spontaneously) and spent 3 blissful days filling our "love pot" (as Nat puts it.)
And Love pot I did fill. With sweet love my parents opened their doors at the mountain house. (always!) My absolute favorite place (oh it feels JUST like HOME. here's why): warm air with a cool mountain breeze, birds chirping on every branch (blue jays), the sun shining through all the scrub oak, decks on the front and back of the house, a mountain view of lush green oak and sprawling green pine everywhere. A mountain house for sure. A feeling it brings. Simply Home.

The day I arrived, my parents hosted a family BBQ with everyone there! Oh I was so happy! Everyone walking in one by one, sisters, brothers, in laws, nieces, nephews. It was a sweet reunion indeed. Oh how my heart missed my family. But instantly I felt like I never left. We laughed, we talked, we caught up. We BBQ hamburgers, ate fresh Spinach salad, watermelon, and homemade cooked beans (fab TY!). For dessert: red velvet cake (oh sinfully divine) and chocolate chocolate donuts. After dinner, we ate fresh grown peas out of my parents garden. Then we watched my Grandpa Dalton's Memorial Day speech (he's a WWII vet) with goosebumps realizing how grateful we are for the 4th and celebrating a Country of Freedom. We told stories some more and hung out till the sun went down. I was a happy girl feeling the Brown family love again. Yes my love pot brimming!

The next day, I went on an early morning run loving every second with my beautiful Rockies. (oh yes!)Then went on a walk with my mom looking at beautiful homes and (yards!) against the mountain. Then I ate breakfast with m and d on the back porch with Alison Krauss sweet voice singing through the air. My mom made homemade wheat pancakes with fresh mango and raspberries on top of yogurt. A glass of cold apple juice to top it off. My cute parents making such a special effort for (little ole) me! I was spoiled and relished in my alone time with my parents. (loving every second). My Dad and I talked about how the earth was created, how our galaxies are beyond our imaginations and how important God is in our lives. I loved it. I was home.


The rest of the trip: Secret pools, shopping, pedicures, cafe Rio, early morning run and breakfast...it was heavenly. I fit so much in 3 days, going to the pools, hanging with the family, visiting with my friends ( I missed so much) Kim, Nat and Robyn. Catching up on each other's lives and kids. I was loving it! Kim and I sat in the sun at secret pool and talked and talked.(we could talk forever!) Nat, Rob and I met at the Riverbottom's at sunrise on Tuesday morning and went on a 5 mile walk and then ate veggie omelette's at Paradise. We had such a great time! WE talked and talked away..oh I love my girls! My friendships mean the world to me, I realize how more important they are to me. Girls need girls, relationships and good friends. I am so blessed to have sissa's and friends who fill my love pot. Thanks girls.

From delicious pork salad at Cafe Rio to cute pedicures with the girls, my trip was so fun. Like I said, being away makes you relish and love your relationships more. Austin played and played his life away with the 4 pack. His smile so big the second we arrived. Amber and Tyler taking him in their home: sleepovers in a tent, homemade crepes, and movies. They are simply the best aunt and uncle to my kids. (how we miss you guys!) What a trip, a trip I needed.

Now my July even better, looking forward to the days ahead. Ry's parents coming out to visit, my birthday week coming up and ending it with a trip to Bear Lake with the entire Brown clan (oh we can't wait!)

Loves to all of you and thanks for hanging with me! You all mean the world. The trip was fabulous minus the 2:34 a.m. arrival (so tired.) from Salt Lake to Denver. A flight to leave at 7:30 p.m and be home by 8:30. But a five hour delay (due to black clouds in Denver) sitting at the airport. No fun! But Austin and I made the best of it. We ate cinnabons, pink candy popcorn, bought Harry Potter and Crocodile Hunter Biography's, and drank Sprite all night. Good times. It now feels good to be home. Loved it. Thanks everybody! Love you Utah. xo!
p.s stole this song (Glee!) off my cute niece Ali's blog. Aligories.