Ready, Set, Summer's Over...

I guess when you don't take many pictures, it's easy to get WAY behind on blogging... not that anyone is really checking ours everyday for an update :)

Basically, we've been out and about traveling all over the country. July was ALL about road tripping it. We put about 4000 miles on the car, and the more we drive a 4-door with just one child in a car seat, the more I realize that soon we need to have a job so we can get a bigger car when baby no. 2 gets here (or down the road) (and because let's be honest... the suburban gets like A mile to the gallon!!) We drove across I-80 after doing 4th of July in LAKE BLUFF (chicago) with my parents... I haven't done that in YEARS. It was so strange because right across the street was a girl I went to school with and ALL of her friends (who I also went to school with). A lot of the people I saw I am "friends" with on facebook, but don't worry- it's just as strange to see them now as it was in high school (especially while I was toting my toddler, husband and pregnant belly around!... they were all toting beers!). After that we went to Utah for about a week and a half and spent tons of time with both Ben's family and mine. It was so good to see Grant play and play and play with kids his age. He went from being a good little talker to NEVER STOPS TALKING after his encounters with his cousins! *thanks* haha But Ben and I are so glad Grant is getting to know his family (other than Grandma Word, Ol' Man, Laurel and Reider). We can't wait to see everyone as soon as we can... but this time, with a new baby!!!!!!! yeah.

Here are literally the ONLY pictures we took. Enjoy them- cause there aren't many :)

LAKE MICHIGAN! Ben and I have an eternal war about what a "beach" is. He says it must be next to an ocean. Now, look at this- does this NOT look like a beach to YOU? haha This was Grant's first time next to a HUGE body of water. We were not prepared for him to go running in as fast as he could. This is "my beach." I lived on this beach growing up. My parents live 2 blocks from it, so we used to go there everyday! ahhh... sweet memories!

Fourth of July. Grant was really good! He was tired at the start, and cried when the fire or garbage trucks honked their horns, but all in all, he was a trooper!

My lovely mother, and my creepy father. I guess the only people who would appreciate this story are my own family members... My dad came home from the temple with a big cut on his face (notice him pointing at it). I asked him what happened, and his response was some awesome story about how my mom fell asleep with the remote in her hand, rolled over, hit my dad it the head and cut his face. haha... We still haven't gotten a real story out of him yet. PS... this is my mom before her mastectomy (sp?)... she no longer has "those." haha

Ah- the Winter Quarters Visitor Center. Grant was mad when we took his handcart away. But what a wonderful museum and temple. Hooray for pioneers!!!!!!!!

LITTLE AMERICA, WY. Thanks to Grandma Hancock for Grant's first cone... and boy- did Grant LOVE it! He has ice cream a lot, but this was his first time holding his own cone the entire time... I almost had a heart-attack at first (because there is nothing I can't stand more than sticky kids... and I have done an AMAZING job keeping Grant "sticky free!"), but Grant rocked the house!! We caught his drips and helped him out, but a few wipes later, and he was GREAT!

UTAH... This Grandma and Grandpa Mathews and Drew (Grant's cousin). Drew almost hit me with the rock he just threw... awesome :)

More pictures up at Bridal Veil Falls on our bike ride. This is all of Ben's beautiful sisters! Good thing you can see all their faces... haha.

Grant with Drew and the Grandparents... I think that this picture makes Barry and Louise look they have captured their grand kids and that they will never let them go! Funny.

And after our fun trip in Utah (which was full of water parks, golfing, and hanging out), Ben and I decided we would head up to Rexburg and out through Yellowstone to get home (on I-94... through North Dakota and Montana). So here is Ben and cute Grant in Yellowstone.

AT THE CUBS GAME!!!!!!!!!! We got these AMAZING seats at the Reds vs. Cubs game through a friend at church. We had so much fun, until the cubs lost. We now all own our own CUBS hats, and we love them. Ben had a blast taking Grant up and down the stairs to find the most remote places in the stadium. Though we lost, we still had an awesome time!

Our AWESOME SEATS! They were ON the 3rd baseline, and my seat was next to the wall (where the camera is sitting). SO FUN!

And our cubs fan family!! (after a sad loss)

So that's about it. I have been in and out of Chicago to help my mom after her surgery. She's so amazing. I feel like all I was there to do was to clean laundry, dishes, and then my sisters and I cleaned cleaned cleaned and PAINTED! (if you've seen their house... you know it needed it). Now that part of the downstairs looks great. I'll have to go back and take PICTURES so people can see how awesome it looks. My mom is doing great, and she loves her "tummy tuck." Also- the doctor says she'll be very pleased with her results! Haha... my mom has fake boobs. Because of the surgery, they used skin from her stomach to "patch up" (for lack of a better word) her "rack." So it looks like she has a perma-sensor bar(well... more like two sensor cirlces)!! I'm sure she loves me sharing this information with everyone, but oh well. She looks great, and is the most AMAZING and most OPTIMISTIC woman I know. I want to be like her when I grow up!