Happy 4th! I'm writing this on the evening of July 3rd. We don't have lots of plans for Independence Day, but we're doing a BBQ potluck lunch with some ward friends and then hopefully we'll find a parade or fireworks show at some point. Jared's dad is out of town and his mom is sick, plus we'll be driving down to his parents' on Tuesday for an OB appointment/anniversary date, so we're doing this holiday solo.
My fatigued pregnant girlie era is still going strong and evolving into my annoyed-all-the-time pregnant girlie era. Probably a combo of pregnancy hormones, not getting enough sleep (pregnant Laura needs 10+ hours or she is grumps city), and the aches and pains that come on with the 3rd trimester are not treating me well. I'm also feeling really homesick now that we've hit one year in Washington? I don't even know where for--sometimes Wyoming, sometimes Utah. Washington is gorgeous and we love being close to family for the first time in a while. At the same time, we feel most at home in a dry/desert climate, and probably even more than that, I miss having wide-open trails literally right outside our front door like we had in our Wyoming prairie (or my Utah foothills). If I could plop that prairie down across the street from our current house in Washington, the homesickness might immediately disappear. That meditative daily sunset prairie walk was really good for my mental health. Also for Savvy dog. There just isn't a good equivalent here--anything that comes close requires a bit of a drive, and involves a trail that meanders through dense forest. Again, gorgeous, but a little unnerving. I always feel like someone's watching me or could pop out from behind a tree (one time I was taking Savvy for a walk and spotted a homeless man watching me from under a nearby tree, neat!).
On a completely different note, last week we spent 2 days and a night at Great Wolf Lodge in Washington--an indoor water park about 2 hours south. It was important to me that we have one Jack-centered family trip this summer before baby girl arrives. Jared agreed, so when he got off of work on Monday we drove to the hotel and spent the evening and following day at the water park. Jack LOVED it. Worth every minute of terrible hotel sleep to watch his face light up and hear his pure little squeals of delight when we stuck him in the deep end with a life jacket and taught him how to doggie paddle around. The actual cutest Jack moments I've witnessed this year. We're probably going to get a YMCA pass for the month of August so Jack can get more swimming time and I can enjoy some MUCH needed gym childcare moments of silence this summer. Amen and Amen. Here are some pics from Great Wolf Lodge!
