thanksgiving in independence

Never mind that Thanksgiving was a thousand years ago and we are in full-blown Christmas mode around here--I have to document our great trip to the midwest for Thanksgiving.

André only got Thanksgiving off (new job problems), but that didn't stop Rhett and I from taking a trip to Missouri to see my missionary mom and dad. We loved seeing Nana and Poppy in missionary mode and fell in love with the charm of Kansas City and Independence.

Hallmark's headquarters are in Kansas City, and they have an amazing, free kids art studio full of all kinds of supplies and creativity. Rhett was more into dancing with Poppy, but we definitely snagged lots of art supplies to take home. And found this fun couch!

Fritz's! Rhett was obsessed (so was I). A train-themed restaurant where the food is delivered via ceiling train track and model trains? Yes please!

Making rolls with Nana.

Just the cutest senior missionary couple you'll ever see.

Nana teaches Rhett the beauty of art museums. I teach him the beauty of the pillar lean. 

Art history class throwback.

Independence Visitor's Center groupies. We went a few times and loved it every time.

We stumbled on a room to write letters to Santa at Union Station. Rhett was sad to let his letter go but excited to ask Santa for cool cars. 

summer in sammamish

There's just something about summertime in the Pacific Northwest--the green trees, the long days, and the beautiful blue sky and water. We had a great week spending time with my family and continuing Andre's indoctrination into all things Washington. Here are some of my favorite moments:

 We drove down to Vancouver for a Treasure family picnic and got to see my grandparents and lots of cousins. Rhett loved it.

 We had to show Andre a real Washington beach, so we headed to Shoreline for a picnic at low tide. The kids loved the tide pools, Andre and I pretended to plunder the leftover ship wreckage, and Rhett and Peter splashed and got super muddy. Win win win.

 How did I live so close for so long and never visit the Microsoft visitor's center? We had the best time trying all the new technology and looking like total gamers (ha!). Rhett waved his hand around for a few days after the fact like he was playing a Kinnect. He's a sponge, I tell you!

 Father's Day in matching daddy-son socks, because when Target tells you you need something, you can't say no.

 Star Wars night at the Mariners game! They pulled out all the stops costumed characters, an amazing fireworks show after the game, and a Mariners win. This is a rare occurrence, people!

 We met up with my dear friend Whitney and got to meet sweet Kate. She and Rhett basically had a playground date when he took her for a spin on the firetruck and they shared a PB&J.

 Rhett LOVED being with his cousins. He would wake up every morning and nap and say "Cousins?" and has been talking about them every day since we got home. If only we lived closer!

district reunion

On the list of things I never thought I would get to do as a mom (at least not for a long time): fly by myself, go on a business trip, blend in with the commuting types. But I got to do all that (and more!) with my trip to DC this week.

Cliffnotes: I got a job as a freelance editor for an investment firm and they wanted to train my in person for a few days. Perks: it's a great job, I got pampered with swanky hotels and delish foods, and I even got to see my sister+fam. Not too shabby.

Good omens on the flight.
When you travel solo, you end up taking a lot of selfies. I call this "Art Gallery Self Portrait"
and first day of work selfie.

I felt like I was cheating on Good Stuff with a trip to Shake Shack but I had to see what all the hype was about. Verdict=fabulous. And running into an old college friend outside was as weird as it was great.
Also, a stair stepper in my hotel room. You better believe I took advantage of that (mainly just to say that I did, but you know)

It was fun to be back in one of my favorite places and realize how familiar it felt. If you want to feel renewed in America, visit DC. (I seriously did a few mental fist pumps while visiting the American Art Gallery. 'Merica). I loved visiting the Bodens, and especially loved coming back to my sweet boys at home!

oh michigan

Guys, Michigan. Who knew? It really is as great as those commercials say. Spending a week with the family gallivanting through Northern Michigan was perfection. Some highlights:

The beach, the water, and the softest sand. We loved exploring Lake Michigan, although we never dared get fully in the water (frigid temperatures, you know). Lighthouses, beaches, and scenic drives, we soaked it all in.

 Sand dunes. We spent multiple days at Sleeping Bear Dunes (voted most beautiful place in america, 2011) and loved every minute. Rhett became a sand expert and André's inner child came out as he climbed and jumped off dunes with the littles. pure bliss.

 Resort Exploration. Ok, so mountains in Michigan aren't quite what they are in Colorado, but we still loved exploring our little ski village town. My parents braved all the kids so the sisters + husbands could go on a moonlit chairlift date, plus we got to race down the alpine slide and play intense disc golf during our stay. win win win.

 Dune climb. This trek deserves its own mention. The sign warns that the super steep slide into Lake Michigan will take 2 hours to climb, but Andre and John did it 15 minutes. Beast mode. And gorgeous views that I enjoyed safely from the top.

not pictured but equally amazing:
The WORLD'S LARGEST CHRISTMAS STORE!!! It was awesome and overwhelming all at once. If we hadn't been constrained by budgets and baggage limits we would have burned some serious cash.
River tubing. 2 peaceful hours tubing a gorgeous river with a sleeping baby in my arms? Perfect. True, Andre did all the work and paddled us along and I have some strange tans lines from where Rhett was sleeping but it was all good.
Family time. I just love the Treasures and had the best time playing with the nieces and nephews, chatting late into the night with the adults, and hanging out all together. It was extra cute to see all the cousins fawn over and take such good care of Rhett.

Til next time, Team Treasure!

Rhett meets Washington

Rhett and I spent a heavenly week with my parents in Washington last week. André was grown up and had to stay and work, but Rhett and I got to play and I loved introducing him to all of my favorite Washington things. That kid is PNW natural.

 We went to Farrel McWirter Park so Rhett could see all the animals. He was obsessed, but now thinks every animal is a dog.

Rhett also got to experience all the glory of a Seattle summer with trips to the park (hello pine trees!), the lake, Rattlesnake Lake and the Farmer's Market

We saw so much family and Rhett finally got to meet his Great Grandma and Grandpa Treasure. They were smitten with each other, obviously. 

We loved taking a little break to hang out with my parents and just relax. Thanks for a great trip, Mom and Dad! 

to the Springs we go!

Before André starts his fancy internship next week, we decided to take full advantage of the family time. Ever since I saw pictures of Garden of the Gods, it's been at the top of my Colorado bucket list. And with the Olympic Training Center just a few miles away, it was set--to Colorado Springs we went!

Garden of the Gods was as magical as I imagined. We picnicked, we drove the loop, and we did a few hikes. Our favorite was definitely Siamese Twins with a gorgeous view of Pike's Peak through the rocks. And André carried Rhett the whole way like a champ...turns out that kid is quite the chunk.

From there we headed to the Olympic Training Center, where André and I could completely geek out. Seriously, the montage movie of Olympic moments at the beginning of the tour gave me chills (Meryl+Charlie 4eva). We got to see training facilities that have been graced by nearly all of the USA's best athletes. Michael Phelps, I see you! I was also irrationally starstruck when we saw John Orazco training in the gymnastics room, but whatever. Olympics are the best!

 After a (questionable) dinner out, we hit the road and were home in time for Rhett's bedtime. A successful day trip full of adventure and exploration!

red rock roadtrip

As soon as I heard about babymoons, I was hooked. A last chance for a couples vacation before the kids come? Sign me up! This weekend we packed our bags and headed to sunny Radiator Springs St. George for some relax fun in the sun.

Highlights:
Rock scrambling time. Andre made his way through "Fat Man's Misery", but I thought it was best for the baby if I didn't squeeze myself through a 12 inch wide cavern and was just the photographer. Turns out my husband is like a little kid around all those red rocks.

Downtown time. Art festival, great people watching, missionary tours

Delicious food time. We seriously ate our weight in amazing food. But then we walked it off, so it doesn't count.

Bed and Breakfast time. Old polygamist homes, clawfoot tubs, squeaky stairs, and gourmet breakfasts. An excellent choice.

 

Temple time. Beautiful. And I learned that maybe that skirt isn't the most pregnancy flattering and should be retired for the next few months. A 24.5 week baby bump.

St. George, we love you and the sunburns we got and the time we got to spend together without Andre doing homework.