Birthday Gurl

I'm short on time again today--right as I was putting Alice down for her nap I got a call from Jack's school that he was complaining of bad ear pain. I got him home and medicated and situated. Jared will bring home a scope to check for ear infection later. I think he will be ok, but I am short on writing time now. So let's get to the pictures!

^^Last week was my birthday! Jared requested the day off, and I decided I'd like to spend the day with him exploring a new town I'd never been to before: Spring City, Utah. It's a tiny town with lots of charm and well-preserved pioneer-era buildings. The town was settled primarily by Danish pioneers, but there is an incredible German cafe in the middle of town, so that's where we began our adventure. "Das Cafe" lived up to all the great reviews. I got a reuben sandwich with the most incredible German potato salad on the side. I could tell the bread and sauerkraut were freshly made, and the corned beef was delicious. Jared ordered the sausage plate, which came with a side of sauerkraut and mashed potatoes with the most incredible dijon cream gravy. (Someone needs to hand me an incredible thesaurus now😅) I had hoped to try their specialty carrot cake, but we were both too full after our meal. We will have to save that for next time.

^^Drinking from the refreshing spring water for which the town is named.

^^We walked through a little museum that had a jail in the back where Butch Cassidy was once held for stealing sheep. 

^^We also stopped by an art museum, since the town is known for being a bit of an art hub. Ever since Jared began oil painting last year, I have developed an interest in frame making. We've been too busy with the move for me to really dive in yet, but I loved the hand-carved and painted wooden frame on this one.  There will be a plein air competition around Spring City in the fall that Jared may decide to join.

^^We made scenic stops in Mt. Pleasant and Fairview on our way back home, and then we finished my birthday with pizza with the kids and my parents, who had babysat while we were galavanting around. It was a lovely birthday.

^^Another blog post, another picture of me and Savvy in the foothills. I got this pocket blanket to carry on our evening walks so I can lay down underneath my favorite tree just off the trail and read (how cute) without agitating my grass allergies. Unfortunately I still come back with itchy eyes every time, but the good views and vibes are worth it.

^^The only picture I took at Jack's final flag football game. He has enjoyed and thrived this season, even with a pretty intense set of coaches. 

^^It's Alice's world and we're all just living in it.

We had a nice Mother's Day too. I teared up on our drive home from dinner at my Mom's house with family, feeling so grateful to spend my first ever Mother's Day living in Utah, able to see my own Mother and Grandmother in person. We even took some nice 4-generation photos before dinner that I will have to upload and share next week. Regular Sunday dinners with family, where our kids can run off and play with their cousins, are everything we hoped they would be when we decided to move to Utah and more:

(Alice and her sweet cousin Aspen after enjoying their chocolate ice cream)