Back home!

It’s been a busy last month! During labor day weekend, we had some visitors to our humble abode! The Larimers!!! It, sadly, had been a year since we’d seen them last. It was great to see them again! They have a little boy who is a little over 13 months old. He was crawling all over and pulling himself up on things. It was interesting to see Keegan interact with him. He is the first child about Keegan’s age to visit in our house and while Keegan shares well at daycare this is a whole different situation for him. He had a bit of trouble with it. It was good for him. They were old buddies by the end of the visit. On the way back from a short hike, I thought Keegan was talking very boisterously to me to find when I looked back that he was talking to Ethan and Ethan thought whatever he was saying was hilarious. Victoria was pretty sure Keegan was telling him dirty jokes in toddler talk; I wouldn’t doubt it.

We went to the Ravalli County fair on Saturday the 3rd of September. We checked out the exhibits. The photo I entered of Keegan got a red ribbon. Then we went to the rides. Keegan only rode (with help) the carousel. Ethan rode a car ride and the super slide (with help) as well. Keegan showed some interest on wanting to ride the car ride….until it jerked to a start. Then I’m sure in his head he said “oh no way” and walked away. The best part of the night, as always, were the 4-H animals. Keegan really enjoyed the sheep and wasn’t so keen on pigs. I’m not surprised with how neat and clean a guy he is. The Reserve Grand Champion pig was so fat its legs stuck straight out and didn’t touch while it lay on its side. Kind of looked like bloated roadkill. Dan made the comment that that pig was already well on its way to being bacon.

The next weekend was the wedding of my old college roommate (high school classmate and HS and college track teammate), Allie. Since the fires were really cooking around that time in the Bitterroot valley Cobey was unable to join Keegan and I for the trip. This was Keegan’s first airplane ride. He did REALLY well. Many people commented on what a good boy he was and one older man told me I was a great mother! That was very sweet! At one point during the flight, Keegan got the chance to look out the window and much to my surprise he started to freak out and say “down, down, down” with eyes and wide as grapefruits. I didn’t think this was cognitively possible for a 19 month old but I am absolutely certain he meant he wanted the plane to go back down to the ground. I calmed him down by pointing out all of the exciting things on the ground like cars, tress, houses, etc. The travel was the easiest part of the trip. We had so much fun flying and hanging out in airports. The 3 hour layover, on the way home, in the Seattle airport was the most fun I’ve had during a layover in a while.

Allie’s wedding was beautiful and different all in one. The ceremony was beautiful and their ring exchange was very unique, something you’d only get from a physicist or chemist! The sun was attempting to melt us and had the ceremony been any longer it may have, but we survived. I was very thankful, too, that Keegan slept through the entire ceremony. After arriving in Portland, he decided to enter the terrible twos phase and reduced me to whimpers and tears the night before at the rehearsal dinner. The reception was the “different” part. I’d only been to weddings receptions with lots of dancing. There was no dancing and, in fact, no music simply lots of food, drinks, and games! Unique and definitely lots of fun, especially for the kids! I spent most the night chasing Keegan around instead of getting to catch up with my other two college roommates, Carley and Becky, as well as the Larimer’s and another college track teammate, Amy.

This last weekend Keegan and I visited the Tricities as a surprise to my mom for her 50th birthday. We arrived just in time to sit down at a table at Red Lobster with Alece and her family and surprise her as she walks in. Actually, we originally were in the parking lot when my dad pulled in too but thankfully mom didn’t see us. We rushed inside before them. Hayley showed up later that evening after dinner. My mom thought that was it. Her birthday surprise was her 3 daughters home. Little did she know, there was more coming. We told her that Brandon was prepping for a surprise birthday party for Alece and that she needed to stale Alece for us. All the while, Alece was really staling her. It was great fun and when the surprise was actually sprung upon her it took her a while for it to sink it. She had a great birthday weekend. As did the rest of us. Keegan (and I!) got to see his greatgrandmas and a bunch of 2nd cousins. It’s been a busy last few weekends. They’ve been enjoyable but this weekend at home has and will be glorious!