If Chuck Blogged on the Blog

You'd be reading about:

The return of real NFL refs to the game and how exciting this is.

The woman who tweeted about a Baltimore Ravens (football) player's brother's death and what that means for her employment (FIRED!).

How awesome his wife his and how much more he could be doing to serve her. Totally this one, right?

Or maybe just about how transparent I am when I ask, "So, uh, if you were going to post something on the blog, uh, what exactly would you write? You know, just for hypotheticalistic reasons?"

I Got Nothing

So what if I've used this title before. It's true.

Ollie is working hard to make sure Bruno gets more-than-he-should-have human food by throwing the entire contents of every meal from the high chair to the floor.  He's sleeping longer in the morning and if we have 5:00 a.m. wake-ups, they're more likely due to Rhett than Ollie. But Ollie and I are enjoying our sans-Rhett mornings by doing things like copying the ward/Relief Society bulletins for my calling, shopping, running errands. Hmmm...maybe I should have said I am enjoying my sans-Rhett mornings.

Rhett has totally adjusted to preschool, I think. He doesn't complain about going and really seems to enjoy it. I'm learning that he's a very devoted and loyal friend. He gets one friend and keeps to her (yes "her"). At church it's Madeleine. At school it's Sarah. Not one for broadening his horizons, this one. Although, sorry Sarah, he's already decided to marry Madeleine and have either two or seven kids. Also, he made his first successful phone call to Madeleine this week. It was awesome. We've done some successful "Make-it Mondays" and even one "Science Friday." We're having good times.


Did I mention that Chuck is now riding his bike to work thrice weekly? Largely spurred by me, but still, he's doing it. And I think he might even kinda just barely teensy bit like it.

And me. I'm just working hard to cross things off my myriad lists. Yesterday I got the passport-renewal check mark and this weekend I hope to be able to check off the shed-organizing because it's been driving me crazy long enough. I'm totally failing when it comes to my chores check list so a new plan of action is being devised.

P.S. Ugh. Suspicions are being confirmed as I type this. My life is lame! See what was happening the last time I posted about having nothing? Almost identical posts (preschool, high chair, tired). So lame. So apologetic. So not going to do anything about it. Except Saturday is Pumpkin Day! Which pumpkin beauty should I make?

P.P.S. One last thing. Promise. I've become quite addicted to my library's "Freegal." It gives me three free MP3 downloads a week. And let me tell you, the selection is near incredible. Serious. My most recent acquisition was "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors. That's right: lookin' at you Angie V.

Latest Projects

A friend is having a baby girl soon, and that means I get to make girl clothes! This came from a pattern from here.


No surprise that I saw this on Pinterest. (The pin is really bad, but it's pretty clear how to do something like this on your own.) But the surprise is that I actually came up with the back all on my own. Amazing, no? We'll have him handprint each year to see how big he's getting! I'm sure he'll love this when he's 17. And yes, I'm making a lot of assumptions like (1) he'll actually graduate and (2) that he won't get held back. But I'm hopeful.




Rhett was given a choice between a couple of different backpack patterns and this is the one he picked. It was a lot of work; I won't lie. But I am pleased and so is he!


Another friend of mine is having a baby boy (my typo was "baboy" but me likes!) so I made these. I really really want to keep them. Or just make a set for my boys.


Our next-door neighbor recently turned six and invited Rhett to her birthday party. So I copied an Anthropologie apron and was pretty pleased with how it turned out.


The boys got matching Halloween t-shirts. I'm a little disappointed with the what's-supposed-to-be-orange bat. It looks more pink. Oh well.


P.S. Seriously? I guess this is one thing I won't be making. Bye bye billion dollar income.

P.P.S. I've got a bunch of other things in the craft hopper, but I've been a bit crafty-ADD so nothing else is finished.

Friends with Benefits

Sometimes it pays to be Chuck's wife. And by "pays" I mean it delivers nice benefits. And by "benefits" I mean he scored super cool pull-down world map from a friend. And by "super cool" I also mean free.

Also, I took a practice SAT last night (just the maths part). So disappointed in me. Ugh. But taking the test was fun. It was almost as fun as looking at different cubicle layouts at work yesterday.

Things Rhett Says

Chuck and I were driving the boys to our Babysitters' Club house and Rhett was questioning us about where we were going on our date. We told him that we might go clothes shopping for Chuck. Rhett replies, "No, C'MON. Do something fun. I want it to not be boring."

Me: Rhett, you need to learn to eat things other than sandwiches for lunch.
Rhett: I do, like, cereal and noodles...and...cilantro.

Chuck and I were talking about "A Christmas Story" the movie. We surmised that Rhett had seen it and were asking him if it was true.
Chuck: It's a movie about a boy who wants a BB gun. You know, a gun that shoots BBs.
After a minute or so of silence...
Rhett: Who would want to shoot babies?

After getting him dressed for church, he looks in the mirror and says, "I look like a young man."


And immediately after this shot, he drops Ollie on his head.


And then after church, he falls asleep in quiet time while "reading." Oh I love this boy. (See his sleepy face in the mirror?)

Planning Schmlanning

As much as I love to plan, sometimes it's fun to just go crazy. And by go crazy, I mean the lame crazy that parents of two children are allowed. But when good friends invited us camping, we said "DUDE! Let's do it!" (Not really; it was more of a "well, we hadn't planned on it and Ollie still wakes early and Chuck doesn't get out until later and...Dang it. We're going!")

So go we went. And awesome times we had. Not only did we have awesome times, but we were also strengthened in our resolve to camp more. With my camping buckets stocked and ready, it was really easy. Seriously. We grabbed the sleeping stuff, some clothes for the kids, bagels and cream cheese for breakfast and we were off! The weather totally cooperated and we didn't even have to wipe the condensation from the bottom of the tent. Good times all around. (Except for when Ollie fell and cut his lip and got blood all over my shoulder. Sweet.)

Why Utah Wins

We've been back in Maryland for about the same amount of time we were in Utah. Since being back, I've given a lot of thought to Maryland v. Utah. But here's the argument that Utah wins it on: In Utah, it's simply easier and more enjoyable to be outside.

Since I started my Maryland life nearly 12 years ago, I've turned into someone who doesn't like being outside, except for a couple of months in the spring and fall. But in the summer? Mornings are hard because the grass is dewy and afternoons are hard because it's hot and muggy. I just cringe inside every time the boys ask to go outside. It makes me question myself. Have I really turned into a person who doesn't like being outside? Before moving here, I loved being outside. What happened?

But it turns out that I still love being outside...just in Utah. Because even in summer, Utah is okay. The days don't heat up until the afternoons, but even then, if you're in the shade or there's a breeze, it's still pleasant! And the nights! Oh, those lovely mountain nights. How I loves me some mountain nights. So being in Utah restored my faith in me being an outside-girl. Phew; I was getting nervous.

Let's hope the fall comes soon!

P.S. Wouldn't you know that Maryland has been simply lovely this week? Absolutely gorgeous. Cool in the mornings for runs, pleasant in the afternoons for trips to the playground.

P.P.S. But oh how we miss my mom's car. But oh how I love having Bruno around to clean up after Ollie.

P.P.P.S. I have great admiration for my Maryland friends who battle the summers and still get out. I'm just, sadly, not one of those people who can do that.

About the Opposite of Clones

Clearly I was confused when I thought our boys would be the same. I thought that since Chuck and I are similar to each other, that there just wasn't much to make them different. But the more I observe the boys, the more I realize that they're going to be wildly different.

Sure, both boys have enjoyed a constant bedtime since about five months of age. However, Rhett was deposited in a crib with soothing white noise, complete darkness, and no roommates. Ollie, however, is deposited in a crib with white noise (ocean instead of rainstorms), but with a brother right next to him who is reading books with a small light on. Occasionally that older brother starts to yell for parents. Occasionally that older brother is throwing a tantrum.

Also, Rhett doesn't have an older brother (duh). Rhett grew up in a house where two parents spoke lovingly to him and around him all of the time. Ollie, however, is occasionally subjected to yelling from parents to his older brother. Thankfully we've been able to avoid yelling directly at a one-year-old.

With Rhett we attempted to give him a varied diet and made sure all of his foods were finely diced. Ollie, however, is lucky to get his whole banana peeled for him.

And maybe the most obvious, because Ollie does have an older brother, he gets that rich experience. Someone to look up to (hopefullly), someone to learn from (only the good stuff hopefully), and someone to play with (or under). What a difference from Rhett's life.

I'm just learning that the environment for Ollie is so very different (you can't even say better or worse here) than what Rhett had. This just makes me so much more excited to see the little person Ollie becomes!

I Like this Guy

A few days ago, our dinner plans fell through. It was late on a Saturday afternoon and grocery shopping for the upcoming week still needed to get done. I suggested finding dinner at the grocery store so off we went. Easier said than done apparently because we found nothing. We ended up at the frozen foods aisle and just stared at our options. Taquitos. Hot pockets. Lean Cuisines. Then Chuck said it, the thing that has made me happy ever since: "You know, before we were married I ate this all the time and it tasted good to me. But now, it all just looks disgusting." Do you even know how happy this made me? How happy it still makes me? So very happy.

Sure, sometimes we fall into the he's-more-a-roommate thing, and sometimes he does things that really bother me. We're normal. I'm not very good at the "Ode to Chuck" posts so you're not likely to find them. But don't you worry: I still really like him.


P.S. He's started biking to work three days a week. I think it's awesome.

Rhett's First Day of Preschool

Before last week's orientation day, I was nervous about Rhett and preschool. Sure, I knew he'd be fine after he was there for a bit. But I was pretty sure he wouldn't be fine when I left him. After last week's orientation day, however, that all changed. He was super excited and not a bit nervous.

The morning started early for me as I wanted to finish the special "First Day of School" breakfast that Rhett requested. (Breakfast actually started with one pack of "smarties" but we won't talk about that.)


Before breakfast, however, he said goodbye to Dad!


Sadly, the little dude didn't care very much for the breakfast breadsticks and opted for a bowl of cereal instead. It's okay because I didn't care too much for them either. (That doesn't mean I didn't eat any, of course.)


After breakfast, it was time for pictures! First, this shirt which he'll wear every year....


...each year adding a hand print on the back.


Then pictures without the shirt...


...with the new backpack...


...and with the unhappy brother.


Finally we made it to school. We checked him in, hung up the backpack, and found his seat. Then time for me to go!


And how did I do? Just fine! I admit I got a little teary-eyed driving away. This was not because "my-baby-is-growing-up-so-fast," but more "he's-without-me-and-I-can't-protect-him-from-things!" But after enjoying the grocery store with only one kid, I quickly forget about it.

His first words when I picked him up? "I loved it!" Let's just hope he understands that he has to go back today and then next Monday and then Wednesday and then...

The Donut Race is ON

Oh yeah. You thought I was kidding, right? WRONG. I don't know why I am so drawn to this race-turned-party, but I am. So we're doing it.

Here is what we've accomplished so far:
determined the date, time, and place
emailed potential runners (even got a few people registered and volunteering!)
ran the course route
made the start/finish chute (out of PVC so it doubles as water play for the boys)
made the start/finish banner
designed t-shirt stencils
designed bibs

What's left? Tons! But it's so much fun that I don't mind. I'm learning that not only do I love organizing spaces (I tackled the junk drawer last weekend), but I love organizing events. So many lists and things to cross off. So much fun planning. Just too much fun. It is doubtful that it will it be more fun than the actual event, however, so if you're in the area: please come!

Who doesn't love donuts?! (I know, I know...there are a handful of you. But you know you're in the minority, right?)




P.S. Today's is Rhett's first day of preschool! Details Friday...

Random Thoughts

The word "reservoir" is pronounced:
a. res-e-voir (all frenchy like)
b. res-e-vore (not at all frenchy like)

You see someone while out and about and you happen to notice that they're wearing garments. Do you say anything, or is that just awkward? Note: You are not in Utah or Idaho.

Sometimes I sleep with one leg hanging off the bed. Is that weird?

Unknown side effect of the dehumidifier #1: Our towels are super dry! Normally, they never get truly dry between showers. But recently I noticed that they are almost a bit rough because they're just that dry. It's awesome.

Unknown side effect #2: Our bedroom (just outside of which the dehumidifier sits) is getting super hot at night. Like 80 degrees hot. Cue chorus of Marylanders: But it's a DRY heat!

Unknown side effect #3: Although it's running all the time (we figure it gets anywhere from 2-4 gallons of water out of our air per day), we're probably coming out even on electricity because we were able to turn up the thermostat. And by that I mean that instead of cooling our house to 75, we can turn up the temp to 77 because it's a DRY cool!

Considering how much time I've spent thinking about just how good it was, I think I must declare leftover-pie-crust-baked-with-cinnamon-and-sugar-sprinkled-on-it my current most favoritest food. Somebody remember this in 11 months and give me just unbaked pie crust for my birthday, okay?

My kids, just like yours I'm sure, put themselves into weird places.

Return of the Routines

Even though we still had a fairly regular routine in Utah, that's one of the benefits to being home and it not being summer. Chuck is back at work (at a new job, which is a post for another day) and I am back to part-time. Next Wednesday, Rhett starts preschool. Real preschool. With a teacher and a backpack and everything. Pretty exciting.

So what does our new routine look like? Well I'm not sure because we haven't quite started. But a girl can dream, right?

Since I still work Tuesdays and Thursdays, I only need to fill the three other work days on my own. And since Rhett is in preschool for all three of those days, I need to remember how to spend the mornings with just a toddler. I am very excited to give Ollie the kind of attention Rhett got at this age. Ollie is just dying to go to all the craft stores Rhett got dragged along to. (He is; he told me.)

But the afternoons are a bit harder for me. I'm not excited about giving up the break I get when Ollie naps and Rhett takes quiet time. On the other hand, I'm going to miss my Rhett! For now, I plan on doing some sort of arts and crafts project with him on Mondays ("Make It Mondays"), sewing while he watches his Wednesdays shows (my one daytime break during the week), and doing science projects on Fridays ("Science Fridays"). I'm probably way too ambitious, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm not sure when I'll fit in running. Before preschool with both boys? On the way to preschool (it's only 0.8 miles from our house)? Early mornings before Chuck goes to work? We'll see.

Otherwise, it should be a great school year. One we're starting off with sweet breadsticks with cream cheese frosting. YUM!

P.S. We're doing it! The 2012 Donut Dash 5K is on! If you are local, heck even if you're not, and you didn't get an email announcing that registration is now open, please let me know. I tried to include everyone I know, but sometimes my brain doesn't work so well.

The 19-Year Plan

So it may come as a surprise, but guess what? I haven't cried once since being back in Maryland. Not once. Shocking, no? The truth is (shhh...don't tell anyone) I don't hate it here. Now don't go get gettin' any funny idears. I don't love it. But, if you take away the humidity and the constant drone of insects and the traffic, Maryland isn't horrible! I mean, the ocean! Eastern Market french toast! Shenandoah Mountains Hills! There are some redeeming things.

Nevertheless, it's not where I want to spend eternity. Or even my earthly life. While on our recent trip, I made Chuck promise that we wouldn't live in Maryland our entire married lives, which is hopefully our entire alive lives. And shocker of shockers, he, too, wants to get out as soon as we can. Turns out that "as soon as we can" is about 19 years. The house will be paid for, the boys will be graduated from high school and maybe even in college in Utah (if their 529 plans have anything to say about it, that is), and Chuck will be eligible for retirement! It's perfect. And 19 years? I can totally do 19 years. I mean, I've already lived in Maryland for ten. 34% done? I can so do this.

Even with this plan, I still enjoy being here. I am actually okay with it. Truly. Just to prove how devoted I am to being a Marylander, guess what we bought as soon as we got home: a dehumidifier. Do you westerners even know such a thing exists? Turns out that humidity can get inside your house. It's bad. Things (and I sadly don't mean just food) start to mold. But my dehumidifier makes it a nice 40% humidity! And now, westerners, go check weather.com to see what your humidity is. $3 says it's lower than that. Just be thankful your dry air grows on trees. (You know what I mean.)

Ollie Update

This boy. This boy who is not a baby anymore. I feel like in the past month we've gone from having a baby to having a real-life toddler! He walks! He talks! He eats real food!

He took his first real steps in Utah and I thought it was a miracle like unto the one in the "Heidi" story. But he didn't show interest in taking more than three steps at a time in the ensuing weeks. About ten days ago, however, he was walking like he's been doing it for years! (Or days.) Awesome.

Although he only says a few words, what he does say is so helpful. "Da da" is obvious. "Wa wa" is water/milk. "Dog dog" is Bruno. "Ball" is...wait for it...ball! And "[screaming]" is "I don't want to sleep." See? Helpful, no?

And the food! The glorious food! My little Oliver eats almost everything we put in front of his face, with the exception of peas and avocado (I'm going to continue to try this one). Love it.

He loves playing with toys, cars and balls being the favorites. And while he still puts things into his mouth, it's getting maybe a tiny bit slightly better.



P.S. You know how much I love these pajamas, right?

Make Yourself a Dang Quesadilla

Parenting is hard. So very hard. Everyday I'm amazed that people actually choose to have kids. Yep, even amazed at myself. I don't even like to think about the "If I knew then what I know now, would I make the same decision about having kids" question because I'm afraid of my answer. Clearly parents (including me) love their children because we do it again every day.

Rhett. Funny, imaginative, expressive, accented-at-times (!) Rhett. This kid is hard. I thought that 3 was supposed to be hard and Poof!, when he hit 4, it was smooth sailing. Not with Rhett. Oh no. 4 has been nearly as hard as 3. Someone lie to me and tell me it does get easier some day.

One of our biggest obstacles with this boy is food. Rhett only happily eats food he LOVES, barely tolerates things he likes, and doesn't touch things he dislikes or thinks he dislikes. Unfortunately his loves include only four things: peanut butter sandwiches, noodles, pizza, and anything served with syrup. Of course, his loves also include any dessert, but I don't serve those for dinner (very often).

Enter: The Quesadilla War. I frequently make quesadillas for him for lunch, and we often have them for dinner. Tuesday night was one of those nights. However, that Tuesday, Rhett decided he no longer liked quesadillas very much. (See previous paragraph to know how he handles food he only "likes.") He decided he wasn't going to eat it. And because that very day, I decided I'm DONE with this behavior, I thought that it was fine for him to not eat it, but he was told it was also going to be the next food he ate. I feel like he needs to learn how to eat food he only "likes." And something as innocuous as a quesadilla? He has to eat it. Something crazy like the Japanese soba dish that was a bit too spicy for little ones? I'm fine with him not eating it. But a quesadilla? Something he's eaten scores of times? I'm not having it.

At breakfast the next morning, I gave him oatmeal. But morning snack? Leftover quesadilla. Lunch? Leftover quesadilla. Afternoon snack? Leftover quesadilla. Dinner? Leftover quesadilla.

How did it turn out? Horribly. How's this for math: starving + tired + being 4 = HORRIBLE. He was ornery and grumpy and crying from about 3 o'clock until 6 o'clock when the threat of a cold shower in his face (and maybe Chuck and I were a touch unhappy with him) finally coerced him to eat that dang quesadilla (which was, admittedly, pretty gross 24 hours after being created). But eat it he finally did.

Was this the right decision? Who knows. Did this teach him to eat what's served? No idea. Will he learn anything other than his parents are cruel beings? Not a clue.

I repeat: parenting is hard. Thankfully being blown kisses as I say goodnight to the dude, sometime buoys me up for the next day.

Coming Home

Since everyone knows how I feel about Maryland, I won't waste your time discussing it. But there is more to say; don't go! Coming home has taken some adjusting. It's almost like I forgot how to live here.

For example, I just don't know what we're supposed to be doing most of the time. What's our routine here? I just can't get into it. Before we left, I was working full-time. Starting today, I'm back to my regular part-time self and I just don't know what to do with the kids. I don't want to get too set in one routine, however, because in two weeks, Rhett starts preschool. (Whatever will I do with just one child in the morning? That's another post, I guess.)

I forget my reusable bags at the grocery store every time. (For those of you not in Montgomery County, if you don't bring your own bags, you're charged a nickel for each you use.) It's the first time I've had to pay for bags, and I'm not happy about it.

Also, I forget about the speed cameras. All of a sudden I'll notice I'm driving a bit too fast and then I freak out that a camera got me. I'll be on edge for the next couple of weeks, just dreading the mail.

Saturday's long run was a bit interesting because my feet hurt. All that day I noticed how achy the bottom of my feet were. Then Sunday too. I couldn't figure it out UNTIL I remembered that Chuck had the same problem when we moved in to the house. It's our hard floors! Our feet were spoiled by the carpet in my parents' home, so I'm now having to re-toughen them on our pergo floors.

But in good news, I forgot about how nice it is to have Bruno around! Such a funny pug. I really look forward to getting back to our walks.

Rhett has happily and easily resumed his Maryland self, complete with church shirt, casual shorts, and fireman rain boots. Man, can this kid pick out an outfit or what?


P.S. One word about our homecoming: the second I leave BWI and walk out the doors, I'm hit with the humidity and that's when I start crying. I choke it back and try to think happy thoughts. Those happy thoughts were quickly erased when we returned to my car only to find it suffering from a dead battery and a very deflated tire. Sigh. Welcome home me.

The Three Reasons It's Okay to Come Home

You knew I'd start complaining about Maryland, right? Problem is: there are just too many things to say and I'd prefer to say them coherently. So until then, let me share with you the three things Chuck and I could think of that make Maryland better than it would be without them.

1. Soft water. Ugh. My parents have soft water in their house and we were never quite sure that we left the shower totally rinsed. (But Rhett misses it because he misses the squeegee we used to clean the soft water stains off the glass shower walls.)

2. One sink. In their kitchen, my parents have a double sink: one without a disposal and one with. The one without is the larger of the two. I will never understand this. The kids were constantly putting food into the sink with complete disregard to the fact that I'd have to pull out the soggy mess with my fingers (which is only slightly better than cleaning out wet hair from drains). And when doing dishes, most of which don't fit into the sink with the disposal, what am I supposed to do with the foodstuff stuck on the dish? I really just don't understand this. So, yes, we are happy to have one sink in the kitchen. *Chuck thinks this is a relic from the no-dishwasher days. One for washing, the other for rinsing. Ooookay, but again, shouldn't the larger, washing one have the disposal? And really, my parents have a dishwasher. Point not taken.

3. My friends. Seriously. I really like my friends. And lucky me...craft night is at my house tonight. So I get that reminder just when I need it. Not that Maryland friends are better than Utah friends, but Maryland with these friends is better than Maryland without these friends.

No disrespect intended for Elder and Sister Dad and Mom. Seriously, their house is way more nice and beautiful than anything we'll ever own. I can't even begin to enumerate all the cool things in it. You should feel proud that we can only find two things wrong with it.

Days 22 - 26: Our Utah Trip in Pictures (still a LOT of pictures)

Saturday, Day 22: The day started out with a 10K race for me and Emily. I ran faster than I've ran in weeks, but it was still slow. I don't know if it's (1) the altitude, (2) the fact that I didn't run for a week or two before coming to Utah even though I've been very diligent about it since, or (3) that I'm just old. I'm going with option (1). After the race, Emily and I, along with our friend Rachael, decided to do a mini-Olympics for the kiddos. We made shirts, planned activities, and created other Olympic goodies. We had an opening ceremony complete with rice-krispie torches and individual flags. After chowing down the torches, the kids competed in the events: straw race, javelin throw, balloon-between-the-legs race, hurdles (the kids' favorite), sprint, shot put, soccer kick, and a relay. Of course all the kids got gold (who could predict such an outcome?!) and then of course, all the kids ate their medals. It was a good morning. In the evening, we went down to a mini-high school reunion with my friends. Between the five families, we have 22 kids. Take out my family, and the other four have 20 kids. I'm really bringing down that average.








































Sunday, Day 23: The Maxwells left in the morning and we were all sad to see them go. We then enjoyed a quiet Sunday with regular naps and on-time bedtimes. It was kinda nice. It was, however, the only day on the trip with no pictures.

Monday, Day 24: While the morning was a low-key morning, it was okay because we expectd our afternoon to be awesome. And it was. Boating with Chuck's brother and his family was such a good time. The only bad part was getting rained out. Everyone (except Rhett) got in the water and no one regretted it. Even Ollie enjoyed the tube! Rhett spent most of the boat ride up in the front, except when he was bugging his uncle to drive.
















Tuesday, Day 25: After a morning spent cleaning, we knew our last afternoon better be good. We thought about going to Thanksgiving Point, but we thought the trip would take way too long and bedtimes were really important. Instead, we asked Rhett what he wanted and when he said "Alpine Slide!" we said done. We enjoyed a fun dinner and even saw Mark Eaton. Of course we didn't know it and needed Rachael to tell us, but hey--we're not from here. The dude was ENORMOUS. Something about 7'4" is just BIG.






Wednesday, Day 26: Today we fly home. We took one last ride up Memorial Hill in the Polaris this morning and enjoyed the sunrise with a donut breakfast--a perfect farewell. We got to look out on the Heber Valley and be reminded of so many fun adventures from the trip. I'm totally scared for the flight with our squirmy baby, but it's only four hours, right? RIGHT?! And sigh. Back to Maryland. Back to humidity. Back to a small house with no view of mountains. I hope I don't lose it on the plane.