Utah in Photos

Finally, my much anticipated Utah post! I apologize in advance if I crash any body's Internet with the sheer glut of pictures, but I couldn't help myself. I felt compelled to chronicle every bit of this trip, since I have no idea when I'll be able to go out again. There are still several videos to come too, so I hope your tolerance level is high!!

This is a photo from the night before I left. I flew out of Dayton early in the morning on Thursday, so I made a badly needed appointment to get my haircut the evening before I flew out, and spent the night at Angela's house. Right after I arrived, we put Brooklyn on the counter with Angela's small boom box, and she had a fabulous time dancing to the music.

It also happened to be a pretty good ratio for how small she is. I'm sure you can imagine how big the boombox is, and it's almost the size of her!!
This picture is during our first layover in Minneapolis. We arrived during the Republican National Convention, a fact that escaped my notice until the pilot welcomed us to the convention as we taxied to the gate. The airport was a mob scene, and it took me over 30 minutes just to purchase a bagel sandwich for myself and Brooklyn for breakfast.
I wanted to get a picture of us, and think this one actually turned out pretty cute. Not bad for traveling, huh?
On our second flight, we were lucky enough to be sitting next to probably the only empty seat on the flight. I wonder if they seat lap babies like that on purpose? Anyway, the woman on the other side was from Indianapolis, and was flying to visit some old missionary friends of hers in Utah. She was lovely and kind, and even helped me get my carry on luggage from the airplane to the baggage claim where my parents where waiting. I can't remember her name, but I wish I did. It was wonderful to sit and chat with her, and once she learned about my recent loss, she shared some very meaningful insights. Both of us spent at least part of the flight in tears, and in Salt Lake she greeted my parents and gave me a warm hug before departing.
Brooklyn spent most of the flight doing the importing things. Drinking....

...and eating, of course. These are freeze-dried yogurt drops, and she went through nearly an entire bag on the trip to Utah. I had to buy a second bag for our trip home!
Once we arrived at my parents house, Brooklyn had a wonderful time riding around on my mother's walker.
And pulling the magazines out from underneath my Dad's side table. My parents were less than thrilled with the mess she continually created with them, but I'm pretty sure they were willing to put up with the sacrifice from such a cute baby.
On Saturday morning my friend's Alisha and Emily came over to share breakfast. We made an old favorite--crepes with fruit--and had a wonderful time catching up. It was the only time I was able to see Alisha while I was there, and I'm grateful that she drove all the way up from Salt Lake to accommodate my schedule. Love you, Alisha!!
This is the view I have sorely missed since leaving Utah. This picture was taken standing on my parents back steps. These mountains greeted me every morning of my growing up years, and they will always be a part of me. As we descended into the Salt Lake Valley on Thursday I noticed two things--how BROWN it is in Utah, and how HUGE the mountains are. In the 14 months I've been gone, I had forgotten how monstrous they are!

My parents have recently remodeled their kitchen (well, recently for me. I only saw it once before we moved to Ohio) and I decided that it desperately needed some greenery above the cabinets. The day after I arrived my Mom and I went to Wal-Mart and I picked out some vines and some red sprigs for color.
My Mom was pretty pleased with the results, actually, and I'm impressed that I managed to get it done without falling off that silly ladder.
On Saturday there was a get together for the Preece family. My Grandmother was recently checked into an assisted living center, so the gathering was hosted there for convenience. My Grandparents hadn't had the chance to meet Brooklyn yet, so I was glad for the time to spend with them and introduce them to their newest great granddaughter. As usual, she loved my Grandpa Preece. He has a way with the kids.
I love this picture. I snapped several of these two in quick succession, hoping for results like this. My Granpda Preece has Alzheimer's, and though I haven't noticed a great deal of difference in his mindset, I know that he won't always be the Granpda I remember. In this picture he looks like the same gruff but lovable man I grew up loving. I plan to frame it very soon.
Seriously, how could you not love this face? I just had to post this one, because she's so darn cute. She loved being doted on by everybody there.

On Saturday night, after a quick visit with my Grandma Gregory in Ogden, I met my friend Emily and drove the rest of the way down to Layton for dinner with some other friends. I met them through an LDS Message Board on iVillage, and they have become some of my dearest friends. We spent hours sitting around at the restaurant talking, laughing, and telling stories. Once again, friends of mine were willing to go out of their way to accommodate my schedule, and I'm grateful. It was a night to remember.
On Sunday morning, I packed up at my parent's house and drove south to Hyrum to attend church in my old ward and spend the remainder of my trip with Laura. On my way out to Hyrum Sunday morning, main street in Smithfield was completely shut down because they were moving a house down the street. Seriously, a house?!?! Only in Utah folks, only in Utah.
Sunday evening found us setting up an elaborate K'Nex roller coaster set in Laura's living room. It took us about an hour with help from the kids and Mike (and we still didn't use all the pieces!) but it was a lot of fun to play with. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the completed project.
See, I told you Brooklyn helped!!
Monday afternoon was the time we set aside to sing with the members of our quartet. We were quite the group when I lived there, but through various circumstances once I left, they stopped getting together. It was wonderful to exercise my vocal chords again, something I have missed terribly in Ohio.

Brooklyn. Always finding a dog dish to stick her head in. At our house she can't get enough of the water bowl.
Last time we got together to sing, we all had older kids and most of us were pregnant. This time, the older kids were in school, and we all have babies. I managed to get three of the four in this picture. They were all born within 2 months of each other.
Jan, our piano player; Cindy, our first soprano; and Emily 2nd soprano and alto.
The scene outside Laura's front door. The mountains are slightly different in Hyrum than in Richmond where my parents live, but I love them still. They're so majestic and commanding.
On Tuesday, my last day in Utah, I was finally able to get together with my younger brother Brian. He was in Ohio at the end of July for a week long visit, so Brooklyn remembered him and had a wonderful time showing him her brand of affection.

Aren't they cute?
Another quintessential Utah picture. There are so many scenes, so many facts that I took for granted the years that I lived there. I tried to capture some of these things while I was visiting, so that someday I can show my kids what my hometown was like.
The flight from Salt Lake City to Detroit was uneventful, but I sat next to a charming man from Portland Maine. He had been in Salt Lake for a very short business trip, and was a great help to me on the 3 hour flight. He assisted me with my bags getting onto the flight, and kept both Brooklyn and I entertained with small talk during the flight. When we left the plane, he carried all my luggage off and then gave me a warm hug goodbye. Every time I have flown, I have been incredibly blessed to sit next to kind people, most of whom end up being a great help to me.

Our flight from Detroit to Dayton was short, only about 40 minutes, and the plane was tiny! It seated about 25 people, and when we landed in Dayton it didn't even taxi to a gate. It simply pulled up outside the airport and lowered stairs. We walked off the plane, onto the tarmac, and into the airport. A new experience for me, for sure. In this photo I am sitting in the very back row of the plane, and you can see how close the front of the plane is. There were even propellers on the wings!!
Finally, on our way home. The last flight we were on was only about half full, so there was a lot of room for Brooklyn and I to spread out. At this point we were both getting tired and a little bit cranky, and I still had a 90 minute drive to reach Cincinnati and my home. I nearly bowled over the poor kids when I finally got there, I was so anxious for a hug!
All in all, it was a good trip. Emotional, with highs and lows both expected and surprising. I'm glad that we went, but I'm also glad it's behind me. I hope you enjoyed my essay in photos!