We had so much fun with the Lamberts! We can't wait to be done with residency and hopefully live closer someday so we can have hiking and cabin adventures together all the time. Jack's final words from the weekend: "Jack, cabin, grandma, grandpa, Will, fun time. Again!"
We spent our weekend relaxing at home. It might have been nice to get out and have an adventure, but the smoke here has been horrible the last several days. It must be wildfire season. There's a particularly huge one in Colorado, and the smoke just keeps getting thicker and thicker in Casper. It makes the sun a cool red color, but otherwise it's been rough. Burning eyes, burning lungs, burning throat, headaches...not fun. Too bad because the smoke blocks a lot of the sun and actually makes for some pretty nice weather, but I know it's best to stay indoors. We did venture out front for a picnic dinner under the setting red sun a few evening ago.
I got the camera out to snap a picture, and that got Jack ALL sorts of excited. I set the camera down on self-timer mode, and he kept running back to press the button and say, "One more time! Cheeeeese!"
It's been a whirlwind few weeks in Casper. During this last week, both of my best high school pals came to pay us a visit. Stephanie and Dallin happened to be passing through Casper during their cross-country move from New Hampshire (90% sure it was New Hampshire) to Idaho. They got to Casper super late and stayed in a hotel, but they stopped in for breakfast and we chatted for hours, until they really had to be on the road again to make it to Dallin's brother's wedding. We always love hanging out with the Jackmans! I can't believe it's been like 4 years since we last saw them. Dallin didn't even know we had a child haha. Jack was a big fan of playing with him though, and has been asking about Dallin every day since they left. Love those guys so much. Can't wait to visit them in Boise someday!
We also had my BFF Julie and her lil' family over as guests this week! It was fun to have another little boy in the house. Their Davis is almost exactly a year younger than Jack, and they played hard. As long as we kept the big-ticket toys hidden, they did pretty well together. We went to waterfalls, the swimming pool, some parks, and downtown for some old-fashioned shakes. The nap coordination was a bit tricky (the boys were on very different schedules so there were only about 4 hours in a day when they were both awake at the same time), but we made the most of it and got some good rest in while they napped. Julie's expecting another little guy this December so rest is always appreciated, I'm sure! I wish I'd snapped more pictures while they were here, but I got one or two semi-decent ones of Davis and Jack. There was some cute hand-holding going on there before I could pull out the camera. Julie's husband, Brandon, is the king of board games and is almost finished designing a racing-style game of his own. So fun. We're excited to visit the Jacobson's at their home in Idaho Falls someday, too!
Grateful for all the quality time I've had with BFFs lately. And now I'm excited that we'll get to spend some excellent quality time with Jared's family next week. I think we've finally figured out all the cool things to show guests ("cool" by Casper standards), so they're coming at a great time. Jack is so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa and Will!
Jared finished his hospital rotation!!!! It doesn't even feel real. It feels like it lasted a lifetime. Today is the start of a new rotation, and he didn't even have to go in until noon! Pretty sure that was a one-time thing, but it was so nice. I took myself on a nice lil' date to the thrift store for the first time in half a year (since before covid). I didn't buy anything (I'm more in purging mode than in decorating mode these days since we'll be moving in less than a year), but it was crazy to be out of the house, also in public, also by myself.
When we got to Buffalo, we stopped at a cute little sandwich shop (Sagewood Cafe) on main street and grabbed lunch to-go to eat in the mountains. It ended up being the perfect picnic lunch: hearty sandwiches on freshly baked breads, and a chocolate cheesecake on the side because Jared's last week of FPI made me all sorts of angsty and I knew that chocolate would bring me back down a bit haha. It totally worked.
We intended to try a new hike, but the "new hike" I chose ended up being just a slightly shorter variation of the hike we've done every other time we've visited the Bighorns. So we did the same one again! It's a hike from Circle Park Trailhead to Sherd Lake. There's a good chance this was our last time at this gorgeous lake before we move, so no regrets about the repeat hike.
Jack was a champ. I think it's a 4 mile hike round trip? He walked for a lot of it, jumping from rock to rock and "chasing" the horses we'd occasionally pass along the trail. The rest of the time Jared carried him in the hiking backpack.
The lake was prettttty cold, but it was hot enough outside that we all jumped into the clear water once or twice. I censored the picture of Jack stripping down buck naked, but there is nothing cuter than a two-year-old skinny dipping in a crystal clear mountain lake. Savvy would have been in heaven, but we needed to make this particular day trip as low-stress as possible after the last few months we've had, so she stayed at home.
Jack and I made it back to Wyoming after a week and a half in Utah. Truthfully I wish we could have stayed longer, but alas, Jack was getting more and more homesick for his "blue house, Daddy, and Savvy" by the day. I just couldn't hold him off any longer. Normally a week would be the longest I'd want to be apart from Jared, but he's in a long FPI rotation (family practice inpatient) at the hospital, and after 3 years of residency I've learned that it's better to be able to get away for some of this particular rotation. Jared has to work for 80-100 hours a week during FPI, and even when he's home he's so exhausted that he really only has the capacity to eat dinner and take a long bath before winding down for bed. Poor guy. It's a rough time for everyone. I'm grateful we live close enough to Utah that I can make the drive there and back with Jack pretty easily.
Jack got lots of quality family time with Nana, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. He's a very social dude. He's going to be so happy when we move closer to family next year.
^^A picnic in Canyon Glen. Jack has clearly outgrown all of his 2t clothes, as is evidenced by this 2t belly shirt haha
I don't have a picture, but Jack made fast friends with a seven-year-old boy named Hudson who lives next door to my parents. Hudson would pop over to play/chuck exercise balls at my head a few times a day. It was a good time and makes me horrified for my future as a parent of older boy(s).
^^A few days before we left, Jack woke up inconsolably homesick. The only thing I could do to distract him was take him to Bridal Veil Falls. We went early enough that there weren't many people there, and it was still nice enough for wading around.
^^My favorite meal of the trip was a girl's lunch with Mom and Grandma at The Taste in Provo. I gave my mom a gift card there for her birthday, but she was deep in recovery mode from her brain surgery and then covid hit. Last week I was able to make a reservation for us to have Afternoon Tea there with my Grandma Roper. I would absolutely recommend this as a fun experience. They are carefully staggering reservations due to covid, and it was nice to have the restaurant practically to ourselves. There was a variety of unique sandwiches on the bottom tier, biscuits with to-die-for whipped butter on the middle tier, and desserts on the top tier. They did a good job of offering traditional options everyone loves (cucumber sandwiches, chocolate brownies), but then also throwing in some unique items (bruschetta with, jam, feta, and mint; rosemary shortbread cookies). My favorite part was the company and the conversation. I learned quite a bit about my grandma's past that I'd never heard before.
Jack has been begging to visit a farm with his cousin Asher for weeks. We went to Thanksgiving Point one evening (best time to go to beat crowds and heat), and Jack even braved the pony ride after he saw Asher get on. Such a cute lil' cowboy.
I'm so happy we were able to be with family for Pioneer Day, which also happens to be my dad and brother's birthday. We spent the afternoon fishing at Payson Lake and then driving the scenic Nebo Loop back home, which I've never done before. I'll have to do it again during the fall one of these years.
We went out for their birthday dinner at the new Leatherby's in Orem. It's been a long time since I've gone inside an actual restaurant to eat. So fun. The burger and fries were amazing, as were the enormous ice cream creations. Jack ate most of mine. Living his best life, that one.
Since our trip overlapped with the Utah Valley Parade of Homes, I took advantage of the excuse to tour around Utah Valley with my mom, brother Tim, and by myself during some of Jack's naps. This is a tradition that Jared and I have loved doing together in the past. Fortunately they had a virtual parade for at-home viewing, so Jared and I are able to do virtual walk-through dates together now that I'm back home. This time around I mostly paid attention to the neighborhoods and different areas of Utah Valley to try and map out where I could see us living when we make our way back in the next couple years. I always feel immediately at-home when I visit Woodland Hills, down at the very south end of Utah Valley. I love the views, the quiet, and being up in the mountains surrounded by trees (yes yes, fire danger, I know). It's my favorite UV town and we'd move there in a heartbeat, except that it doesn't have much hiking, and it definitely doesn't have Dry Canyon (my favorite place to get outside). I could definitely see us moving there someday though. It would be an easy half hour commute to family and Dry Canyon, and we could build a little further down on the mountain where fire risk is lower. Land is a lot cheaper in Woodland Hills too.
Our newest niece was born while I was in Utah! Baby Emery is the sweetest little bundle of joy. Jack did surprisingly well letting me hold her, and sharing toys with her when we went over to visit Peter and Abby when they were home from the hospital. As I was holding her I realized that it was the first time I've been able to hold any of my newborn nieces/nephews. We've never been in town for the others' births. I was grateful we were able to see her sweet face before heading back to Casper. Until next time, Utah! Our next visit will be just a month away, and filled to the brim with exciting times (interviews, Elko road trips, and meeting our future sister-in-law--gonna be great!)
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