Getaway With the Girls

I went on a road trip with my baby girls. Josh and Matt were busy with scout camp and work. So off we went in the little white Honda. Chelsea and I took turns driving. She is a good driver, and now has lots of experience working the cruise control. Chelsea had a yucky cold all weekend, but she had a fun anyway.

On our way to Utah, we stopped in Burley and visited with my lovely Grandma Fillmore. She has been declining in health so it was nice to get a chance to be with her for a while. She always tells me the story about how my grandpa cried when I left his home after I was born and it was time for my mom to move on since my dad was back from deployment. Apparently, my grandpa rarely cried. I love that story and will miss it when she can't tell it to me anymore.





I had the chance to go help my sister, Heather, set up her 3rd grade classroom at her elementary school in Sandy, Utah. She had to move rooms this year and was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the task. It was fun to hang posters, number the coat hangers, organize supplies, and most of all be with my little sis. Emma was in heaven setting up a REAL school room. She loves to play school at home so this was the real deal. She and Chelsea filled the desk bins with the kids' school supplies. How would that be to not have to buy school supplies?! This school district provides a lot for the families.



Chick-Fil-A. The perfect chicken sandwich. I'm in love with it, but alas, it is something I can only have when I'm in Utah. But maybe if I had it more often then it would lose its luster. Nah. I don't think that could happen. Why in the world is there not a Chick-Fil-A in Boise? Someone could make a butt load of money. (Did I just say that? Sorry mom) It is always so busy whenever I'm there. Oh, and I can't forget the delicious waffle fries and lemonade that one must partake of when eating their chicken sandwich. Yum.



I finally took the time to stop in at IKEA... just for a quick minute. Ha Ha. I think we were there for an hour and a half. My mom shopped there all the time buying stuff for missionaries' apartments when she lived in Sweden. So she showed me products that she would often buy. We had fun looking at all of the cool things one could buy in that 310,000 square foot store.



Emma modeling a super cool little table


Chelsea likes this lounge chair


I would like to have this in my closet. Not those ugly shoes, but the pull out shoe racks.


I'm for sure coming again. Next time I'll bring Matt.


The next day, I took my girls shopping. Chelsea and I bought jeans at Charlotte Russe. We will be twinners now. Emma enjoyed naming the headless mannequins on the dressing room doors. She cracks me up. Em got jeans, too, at a different store.



We drove to Herriman and visited Uncle Erik and Aunt Kimi. David and Vanessa were there too. Alex was down in his "cave" probably sleeping after a scout camp. I forgot to pull my camera out of my purse, so I didn't get a picture of them in their beautifully decorated Dominican inspired house. Wish we could live by them. That would be loads of fun.



Just a couple of minutes away from Erik's house was the "Up" house. It is a model home built to look just like the house in the movie "Up". Apparently, it is a fun way to get people to come look at the houses being built in that neighborhood. We drove by and saw the line of people with Parade of Homes tickets. The ploy is working. I saw pics on line of the inside, and it's a nice home. Re-do the exterior paint, lose the balloons, cover up the two movie inspired murals on the inside and you'd have a great house to live in.



Next stop was Hebe and Carley's house. We awoke the sleeping pregnant Carley and disturbed Hebe's tv golf viewing. But they were gracious and let us in for a quick visit. Their sweet little baby girl is due in four weeks. We got to see the nursery that they are working on in preparation for her arrival. We can't wait to have a new baby in the family.



That evening, we spent some time with Grandpa and Grandma Eastman. Lucile made us a yummy taco salad dinner with some of her outstanding homemade salsa. We showed them our Trek movie after we ate. It was nice to be in their home and to be able to talk to them. Next visit, we'll stay there and get to spend a little more time with them.

Here's my mom and dad. They sit and eat every meal just like this. Place mats, vitamins, silverware lined up, napkins in place, salt and pepper shakers, and my dad wearing his apron like he has for as long as I can remember. Even if they are eating a bowl of cereal, this is what it looks like.



I snapped some pictures of pictures around my parents' house. How weird is that? This first one is of all of their grandkids. Below them are pictures of both sets of my grandparents. Three out of the four have gone on to heaven.



My dad in his younger Navy days.


Wedding pics of me and my sibs. Around the corner are pics of my sister and two sisters-in-law. Pretty soon, my sis will have a beautiful bridal portrait here too. The guy just doesn't know it yet, so we have to wait until he decides to show up.



Poofy-headed bride with poofy sleeves


Me and my sibs each at age 5. My picture has faded terribly.


This is me in my mommy's belly.


Here's my dad's senior portrait and my mom's nursing school graduation portrait. My, they were young and wrinkle-free!


Lastly, I took a picture of my mom's pole beans. I want to get this teepee thing for my garden next year. I'm loving it.


It was a good girls' get-away. But it was great to come home to my guy and my boy.