Utah Summer Visit 2018
Summer isn’t complete without a visit to Utah!
All of our friends in the Bay who are from Utah seem to head
there for a few weeks in the summer, us included! It’s hard to resist
being with family, boating, and being together. This year our trip was shorter,
2 weeks instead of a month — ha! Even though we had to pack it in, it was
better to do it shorter this time at 8 months pregnant with the 100 degree heat :)
We always love to go back to Salt Lake, but it does throw us for a loop each time.
It’s like stepping out of our bubble and life in the Bay, back into the place we come
from with mostly our entire family living there. It always feels so magical and familiar
and like home, but also gets stressful, busy, and crazy! We’ve never lived there married,
but sometimes wonder what life would be like together there. In some ways so amazing
and easier with family help, so great to have all of our lifelong friends and familiar areas,
we could afford an amazing home compared to here, etc.. but then we crave our little life
away with our amazing friends and people out here. It’s hard to explain the confusing and
kind of unsettling feeling that it creates, but either way we love visiting and the stress that
comes with it is just normal I guess! There is nothing like seeing little Reagan with her
cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and how happy she is. I love the
gatherings and food and hikes and biking and boating and being together so much.
Luckily we are close by for plenty of visits even if we stay in California forever.
During this visit we were supposed to go to the Tetons in the middle of it, but that
changed due to some family schedules – so the visit wasn’t quite as rushed which was nice.
Luckily we still fit in a lot: My 10 year high school reunion, a trip up to Midway with my
family, some Dunn family photos, the 4th of July festivities, and a big celebration for
Chase’s 30th birthday before we left! In between all of that we had lots of fun below:
Landing in Salt Lake, and reuniting with Papa & Yaya!
Out of the airport and straight to the best…
Rio is almost always our first stop :) Not embarrassed of my full mouth in this pic ha ^^
Straight to the good stuff!
My parents’ street & neighborhood will never ever get old to me ^^
Neither will the endless amazing food in my mom’s kitchen ^^
Love our built-in babysitters when we’re home..my mom sent me this picture
of my dad putting Reagan to bed while we were out -sweetest thing! Also, my
dad is now in the Academy for the Emmy Awards and votes on them! Every night
we were going through the boxes and boxes of shows they have sent him ^^
He is cooler than we will ever be haha.
Early morning Millcreek hike the first morning with the Poulson girls! My cousin, aunt and mama ^^
Lots of bike rides for Chase and my dad, thanks to my dad letting him
use his backup amazing bike ^^ Wish I could have joined,
but can’t wait to be back on the bike after baby!
Acai bowl rewards after a 60 mile ride ^^
My mom got to join in on the riding fun too ^^
C O U S I N time is the best time!!
Reagan’s Utah boyfriend Rocky :) ^^
Love triangle with Rocky and Solly hehe! ^^
Always love time with this bestie when in Utah! ^^
Gourmet breakfast by Linny, and the sweetest quilt made by my bestie Anna for baby girl #2!
I about cried when I saw this. How does she know me so well, and made this so perfect?!
All the Dunn couples together for the first time in so long!
We haven’t done an adult dinner forever, and with all of us in town from
Virginia to California to Utah, it was special to get time just us since it’s rare ♥
My parents took us all to Brio which was way better than I remembered!
Steak salad and lobster fettuccine won. (But that’s not the steak salad in the pic!)
There was a Daniel Tiger event at my dad’s work that we of course had to
attend with Reagan and cousins! Love these little Daniel Tiger fans :)
Starstruck kids meeting Daniel himself! ^^
Tagg was the only one brave enough to meet Katerina Kittycat, haha ^^
^^ Lydi in her Daniel Tiger costume was the best
Backyard swinging at my parents house happened on the daily ^^
Family photo time! ^^ Always amazed when these are pulled off :)
My parents took us to such a fun birthday dinner for Chase
at Tsunami for some sushi and the other yummy food ^^
My parents took Reagan home after for bed and Chase and I had a rare movie date night!
We saw the documentary about Mr. Rogers which we loved. So good and sweet and inspiring.
Our second weekend there we went up to the Oakley Rodeo for a fun
night with Chase’s family. The kiddos didn’t last very long but it was
good to be up there and especially to get time all together!
^^ Little California cowgirl
Cousin hand hold and Rio dinner…man, that fideo special is a good one!
Hotel swimming and playing in Park City with Rigby cousins after the rodeo!
And little hotel towel after a shower haha…then Reagan
once again fell asleep instantly after another fun family getaway.
Tracy Aviary bird show with our Ferrin besties back in Salt Lake! ^^
Liberty Park has gotten prettier and prettier every time we visit ^^
Sis in law shopping day with my mom, thanks to Linny who gave us fun shopping
money and we all actually found things we loved. We’re not used to taking our time shopping
for clothes without little ones to chase around the store – normally mostly online instead!
Fun girls lunch at Trio after ^^ My mom spoiled us!
We came back to this darling sight of all the cousins (minus Benny napping)
swinging in the hammock together. Priceless! My mom got 2 babysitters
while we were gone, and Chase was home for some of it to help. He said
they barely even needed a babysitter there, just entertained each other ha!
Rigby family dinner where Blake made the best steak ever.
Those Sunday dinners that we miss are really the best food!
They are also why my bump grew grew grew on this trip :)
Chase’s parents got a little bounce house for the backyard, what a hit!
Cute Shelley made the best celebration for Chase and early birthday party
for Reagan and her little cousin Gracie who have July birthdays 2 days apart!
Birthday cuties blowing out candles!
Chase and his cutest grandma who came up to celebrate!
Baby Sarah time, and kitchen playing in Mimi’s playroom ^^
Love this little chica and can’t believe how much she played and ran
around and laughed and stayed up late and enjoyed her Utah fun!
We love and don’t get enough time with our siblings / in laws!
Also, Reagan in this picture is my favorite – she ran over and asked to be in it ha!
A big business meeting + lunch at Papa Blake’s office. So fun to visit him there!
Reagan loved all the gatherings and was constantly standing at the front
door watching for whichever cousins or friends were coming over :)
Reagan got a pretty good surprise (we all did) when 2 PONIES pulled up
the driveway on our last night there! We were having a family party and my
mom kept saying she wanted to celebrate Reagan’s birthday a week early
while we were there, so she got horses- haha!! Safe to say they were a hit!
It took her a few minutes to warm up, but once we got Reagan to ride
the pony it was hard to ever get her off! All the kids took turns and she
probably rode 50 laps around the yard by the end of the night haha.
She kept making the horse galloping sound, yelling “I’m riding a
horsie!!” and giggling so hard. She loved it and she’ll never forget it!
The best part is these were rescue ponies that Gardner Village keeps,
so it’s a good cause to support them and they are the sweetest!
The kids loved them and look at those cute braids ^^
The last night with her bestie cousin pals! She is obsessed with Tagg & Lyds.
Thanks mom and dad for the best night ever for all of us!
(Chase even rode a pony which was hilariously amazing- got the best video of it ha!)
One last delish barbecue spread…
By the grill master and his homemade JDAWGS!
Final morning hike in Millcreek with my mom, doing Salt Lake Overlook.
No one else was up there so we just had these pics of each other –
from behind without showing my HUGE bump haha!
Back at the SLC airport, but this time saying goodbye – not welcome!
We grabbed airport Cafe Rio of course, and headed to the plane!
Sad to leave, but not as sad to escape that insane Utah heat ^^
Cutie on her last free flight under 2! She was so good on it,
maybe because now she knows we’ll be paying for her on
flights so she doesn’t want to be left behind next trip ;)
Byeee Utah! Thanks for more fun memories.
xo