A Little Cabin Time

this past weekend, we went to our family cabin for a little rest & relaxation.

and lots of laughing.

it was SO fun!

ellie and i, on a spur of the moment decision, went up earlier than we had planned so we could go up with nana and papa.  so, of course, in all the hurry-hurry out the door, i forgot my camera.  so not like me.  usually that thing is attached at my hip!

therefore, here is our weekend fun - instagram style.

nana is skilled in the pancake department.  ellie requested a kitty pancake.  :)

she also requested "shamu."  wish i had a picture of that one, too.

todd was elk hunting with his dad and brother all day, so he missed out on bloomington lake!  we missed him.

that place is seriously heaven on earth.  i LOVE it!

and the fall leaves were gorgeous!

lots of naps. :)  isn't sleeping the best!?

ellie rarely naps so i had to snap this one...

can't wait till our next trip!

Welcome, Baby Tavin!

Ellie has a new cousin!  And he is too adorable for words!

I loved every moment I had snuggling this little cutie.

Ohhhh, I cannot wait to have a newborn of my own again someday. :)

Goodbye, Summer.

We will miss you.

We'll miss the many popsicles eaten, water wars in the backyard, fireworks, lazy days at the pool, boating trips, camping ... (just to name a few things).  Until next year.

I can feel the air getting cooler and crisper, and this time of year, I get beyond excited for FALL!

I love fall.

I love everything about it. :)

First Day of Dance Class!

This week, Ellie went to her first day of dance class!

She was so very excited.

She asked me if she was going to a ball.  For princesses.  :)

I told her she would be learning how to dance at a royal ball... which made her all kinds of happy.

Such cute little dance friends!!

I adore these little girls!

Labor Day

We had such a fun family day together up Little Cottonwood Canyon on Labor Day--the three of us with Nana and Papa.

We went on a little hike to "Cecret Lake" which was very beautiful!  Nothing beats the fresh pine smell of those gorgeous mountains.

Then we stopped at Snowbird Ski Resort where Oktoberfest was in full swing.

We even tried traditional German food, which was interesting.  Ellie would pretty much only touch the pretzel rolls. :)

One of the highlights of the day was taking the tram up to the top of the mountain!

We went all the way to 11,000 feet above sea level.

So many gorgeous views...

And then...

taking the ski lift back down!!

WOO HOO!!  Crazy faces!

We loved all that wind blowing on us.

There's Nana and Papa up there behind us...

Fun, fun day.  Thanks for inviting us, Nana and Papa!