Another weekend away for meeeeee...

The beginning of June I went to Utah a second time for one of my favorite people's wedding. My dear friend, Amy Smedley got married to Julio Duran. She has been so patient, dating and putting herself out there and genuinely pursuing a beautiful life for herself while wanting to be married and have a family of her own. I have admired her these years, with her fancy career, travels and commitment to her neices and nephews who think she is the best thing to ever walk the planet. It was such a pleasure being with her on her special day...and it doesn't ever hurt to fit in a little more Mimi, right?!

First look at these pictures Chris sent me from his outings with the kids...made me miss them. So glad they are lucky enough to have a dad take them to do fun things in my absence!

Tacoma Waterfront

His poor head. Ask his dad how that happened...dressed head to toe in the Keim hand me downs...thanks so much for those...

While in Midway, I went with Natalie, Mimi, Nana, Jensen, Ellie and Sam to visit Mia. I love all the cute things people bring there and wished I wasn't empty handed. Hopefully she knows my heart was full. I tracked a guy down who will make her a custom concrete headstone and I look forward to seeing how it turns out. Mimi has a brother-in-law who is an amazing artist and he is going to design it. I love her little pink metal sign too. It's perfect in the meantime.

It is really beautiful there.

In true McDonald fashion, they installed a salon sink in their laundry room because it is John's dream come true to have his hair washed by someone...okay, just Mimi. So this was the inaugural washing. He was definitely digging it. I had to get a shot. Felt like a personal moment if you know what I mean, but the kids were around so they kept it g-rated. The BEST thing ever that I wish I had been quick enough to capture on camera was when Mimi had her turn. Mimi has more hair than the average person, so John starts spraying her hair and dumps a bunch of shampoo on there and starts scrubbing it around, but no matter what he does he still has a majority of her hair (under the first layer) totally dry, and getting goopier because he kept trying to add more soap to solve the problem...so eventually, Mimi goes stalking with 1/4 wet and soapy and 3/4 dry and snarly hair to go finish the job in the shower. I couldn't stop laughing. I guess that salon chair is for John, not so much for Mimi!

I was so excited that Amy made time for a little girly talk over lunch the day before her wedding. Another mission friend, Nanci Schade (now Nanci Dickman) came into town, the three of us lived together for two months while I was Amy's companion and it was such a great time in my mission. Nanci and I always served in the same areas and we were only two months different in the mission so we are close too. It was just so much fun to be together. I love them both so much and treasure our past experiences and love hearing about their lives. Nanci is pregnant with her fifth baby...another boy, so four boys and a girl...just like me! Julio dropped Amy off so we got to meet him real fast...

The three of us...

My aunt Jody invited Mimi and I up to Park City because she was staying at a Marriott timeshare place right by the Alpine slides in a ski in and out resort. What a place! It was so fancy! Constant activites and the pool was warm and I just loved it there. 

Mimi's cuties with their cotton candy...

My cousins, Julianne and Jeanelle Jacobs were such fun hostesses, they made us a dutch oven and BBQ dinner and we ate poolside and then roasted marshmallows. It was so sweet of them.

This pic should be funnier if you could see what they are lovingly looking at. Mimi ended up coming home from Costco with a big huge TV for John to mount on the wall. They got it installed and had a happy, cuddly, gazing at the TV minute.

The wedding day was super special and I am so grateful I was invited. It was a beautiful ceremony in the Salt Lake City Temple, followed by a nice dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, way up high, overlooking Temple Square. It could not have been a more lovely day. 

Oops, I'm not exactly looking in this pic!

Me, Amy and Nanci.

Mommy gets away to Utah round 1...

Nursing a baby is so amazing but it is also pretty limiting. During my time nursing Leo, I passed on a trip to Hawaii with Mimi, a weekend in Arizona with Kel, Sand, Leisha and Eden and a work trip to Africa (which didn't ever happen, but still...I said I couldn't do it!). I would do it all over again the same way, I love nursing as long as teeth stay open, and my babies are all entitled to an undivided mommy for at least a year...HOWEVER...I do love my time away! So in May, I began what was a crazy few weekends of away from kid time. The first was a weekend in UT for my cousin Courtney's wedding and Mimi's birthday. It was like finding myself again after a year of being at a constant beck and call. It was amazing.

First, a pic I took of four of my most favorite people right before I left. I love them. I am so lucky to have so much time with them and to be their mom. If they weren't in my world I could never enjoy anything the same way again. No me time ever surpasses time with them, but it is still a good thing to get a break!

Mimi picked me up at the airport and we went to The Blue Iguana in SLC for Mexican food. We met up with Kerry McMullin, Amy Anderson, Monica Alters and Sara Manzanares. It was a great night of good eats and conversation.

Bestie selfie of Kerry, Mimi and I...

I really want to hate Midway for stealing Mimi, but it is just a beautiful place. If I was dragged kicking and screaming to live in Utah, it would be Midway or bust.

Mimi was my plus one at Courtney and Jeff's wedding which was at Sundance resort and was beautiful and fun.

The ceremony.

Mim's house wasn't built yet but we walked over for a tour after church that weekend and they showed me the concept of their hair bath...I was sold.

Mimi's birthday was the 5th and we headed out on the town with her family for a fun dinner in Provo.

The McDonald family being crazy for a birthday shot. Jense had to blink.

We went to swim in the crater in Midway on Mimi's birthday with Elise Jones. IT was fun and cool.

Wearing a life preserver was a good reminder of 

John came over to the crater with the kids just to take some pics of us from where the crater is open to the above world. I'd say he is a big fan of the birthday girl.

We went swimming at the Midway Worldmark because Mimi and I stayed there for a night. It was nice to get away from it ALL. :) 

The birthday girl and I.

We went to dinner with Mimi's mom, her sister Susan, her friend Elise, Sister Raegan and Natalie. Of course that was just the ladies. We were also in the good company of her husband, kids, brothers in law and dad.

Mom, Raegan, me, Susan, Mimi, Natalie and Elise.

It was a great trip. I was so happy for Courtney and Jeff and their wedding was perfect and it was awesome to see my friends and spend quality time with Mimi.