Trip to Utah: Part 1

Ah, the warm, fresh (ok, smoggy) air of Los Angeles. It's good to be home.

We're all back in LA now, and while it's always nice to come home after a long trip, I can't say I'm enjoying it just yet. The first couple of days after getting home is full of the ususal: unpacking, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, phone calls, emails, etc. I've gotta say, being around family who are so eager to take the little guy off our hands is something I don't appreciate (or take advantage of) enough while we're with them. Only a day at home and I'm already missing being able to sit at a computer and read emails without Westin trying to push the chair (he's really into pushing things right now) or climb up onto my lap, use the restroom without Westin pounding on the door and crying until I come out, and walk around the house without Westin attached to my leg.

Oh, and of course, we already miss our family and friends who we had a great seeing this past week. So let's get to that...

We arrived in SLC on Sunday morning and headed straight to my mom's place where we immediately showed off Westin's walking skills. The rest of the day was basically spent watching football, playing with Westin and having Sunday dinner.

Monday morning Ryan took off with his brother-in-law to go snowboarding at Brighton. They picked the perfect day to hit the slopes. The week's only snow storm blew in on Sunday night, leaving a fresh layer of powder for the boys to enjoy. Ryan called me a couple times during the day to tell me what a great time they were having, how well he was snowboarding, and how sore and tired his legs already felt! Despite feeling a bit like an old man, Ryan and Brian had a great time and got plenty of runs in before coming home in the afternoon.

After Ryan relaxed for a bit, we headed out to meet my dad and Loni for dinner. Westin was worn out from running errands with my mom and me all day, so he passed out before we even got to the restaurant (didn't last long, though).

Once Westin was up, he was ALL over the place. The kid can't sit still, or in one place for very long - which makes for exhausting dinners these days. He did make friends with a little boy at the table behind us (I didn't get a picture of this, but Westin was basically climbing up my shoulder and leaning over the ledge of the booth so he could see the people at the next table). He was clearly having a blast... I, on the other hand, was dodging his legs and arms to get a few bites of my dinner. Like I said, exhausting!

Loni, my dad, Westin, me, Ryan, Kenzie

I'm lacking pictures of our activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the quick recap is: we visited Ryan's sister and her family, ate at Cafe Rio, went to the Jazz game, saw The Blindside, and [Ryan] worked on some b-school apps.

Then on Thanksgiving we split the day between my dad and my mom. We started the day in North Salt Lake at my dad and Loni's new home. They have a beautiful place, with an incredible view of Salt Lake. The most exciting part of their new house is the little nook under the stairs (a.k.a Snow White's cottage). I didn't get the full mural, but you'll see what I'm talking about from these pictures.

To say Westin had fun in his new cottage would be a bit of an understatement.

Westin also had a blast with this rocking horse (ignore the fact that it's pink - it was a hand-me-down).

And these puppets...

Dad and Loni were definitely prepared for W.

And a couple family photos...

After breakfast with my dad, we drove back to Draper to spend the afternoon with my mom. We (she) didn't have too much cooking to do day-of... we baked the pies on Wednesday and did the stuffing and sweet potatoes on Tuesday.

Here's the beautiful chef at work... (sorry, mom, that I didn't get more pictures that afternoon).

After stuffing our faces with a second fantastic meal that day, we cleaned the dishes, vegged on the couch and watched a movie.

Thanks mom and dad for a very fun and filling Thanksgiving.

The second half of the trip will have to wait till later. Westin is climbing up my leg and trying to push the chair...