Sedona and beyond

During my parents' visit, almost two months ago now, we took a very windy road to Sedona. I'm all about scenic routes, but it's harder to enjoy them when you feel as if someone has super glued a bowling ball to your abdomen; a bowling ball that likes to play a game of statues in the car when you go around a corner.

Remember playing statues with your siblings in a back seat...trying as hard as you could to completely smash the poor soul everyone was leaning into as a parent would whip around a corner on a curvy road?

I don't know if this happens to every pregnant lady, but it has been the case with both of mine. Speed bumps or pot holes are the worst.

Rolin entertained himself with some light reading during the trip.

Anyway, we took the most windy road up through Wickenburg, Yarnell, Prescott (pronounced Pres-kitt) and Jerome before embarking on the beautiful, red-rock adorned Sedona. We drove right through an area damaged last summer by the Yarnell Hill Fire, the one that destroyed more than 120 homes and, after a freak change in the wind, took the lives of 19 firefighters known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots, most of whom were from Prescott.

We stopped in Prescott for the night. Once in town, we checked out the Yavapai County Courthouse. Rolin and Gigi got right to work, making sure all the staircases around the building were ok for ascending and descending. It was much colder in Prescott than back home in Phoenix, so I wore my scarf around my legs. I'm sure you'll see this as a new fashion statement. At least if you're with me, it's chilly and I'm armed with a pashmina scarf.

Stairs!

Stairs!

Stairs!

Stairs!

We stayed the night in Prescott, enjoying carry-out pizza in our hotel room and watching the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics.

Rolin's favorite part about our hotel stay: rides on the luggage cart.

We ventured to Sedona the next day, stopping in Jerome on the way.

Jerome was a neat place. It's an old mining town built on Cleopatra Hill. When I say "on" the hill, I mean literally. The homes and businesses appear to be built into the steep sides of the hill, and there is not much for flat surfaces in the entire town. It was a prosperous area back in the day, for its gold, copper and silver mines. The town once boasted a population of more than 15,000, but dwindled to only 50 when the mines closed in 1953. It's slowly rebuilt itself, but not for mining. It's an artists hangout now, and flocks of people visit the little town for its quirkiness, ghost town, small shops and free-spirit, artist-lifestyle aura.

Gigi with Jerome in the background.

We pretty much stopped there only because I had to use the bathroom. Again.

However, we're glad we took time to drive out to the edge of the town to look back and see it's steep-set design and take a few pictures of the valley below before heading on to Sedona.

I've seen pictures of Sedona before, but it is another experience entirely to see nature's grandeur in person. We strolled the strip, along with about 500 other tourists, had a nice lunch at the Open Range Grill and Tavern (great views) and sped through a bit of Sedona history while seeing the sights on a trolley tour.

Chimney Rock, also known as the "Three Fingers" is on the left. The name you call it depends on from which side you're viewing the formation.

Trying to keep him warm AND restrained. 

The unfortunate timing when the belly protrusion is still questionable...food or baby?

This is Coffee Pot Rock. See the formation that looks like a coffee pot?

We got a tip from the trolley driver that views from the Sedona airport are especially spectacular, so we headed up the hill before starting our journey home.

Rolin did great in the car, except for the very last 20 minutes or so on the way home. He cried so hard during the last stretch that he made himself throw up. That hasn't happened before! I think it was a combination of tiredness, hunger, it being dark and that his car seat was turned forward-facing so he had a different view than he was used to upon waking from his catnap.

It was nice to see more of our new state. Northern Arizona is much different that its southern side. I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I like the southern side's warmth a bit more!

The rest of our trip was spent with Rolly spending quality time with Grandpa L.J ("Bakka") and Gigi.

Going for a ride to the park.

Learning about football from Bakka L.J.

Weekend in Vancouver

Last weekend we traveled to Vancouver, Wash., for Justin's cousin's wedding.

I promise we'll stay in Arizona for more than a week at a time now...we don't have any more travels on our calendar for a few months. Hooray!

Passed out on puffs on the way to the airport.

The high temp in Vancouver all weekend was expected to be lower than the low temp in Phoenix. Follow that? I believe Washington also received record rainfall over the weekend. I was so glad I decided to bring a pair of leggings to wear with my dress for the wedding. I originally got them so my ultra-white legs wouldn't blind the bridal party, but they actually saved me the embarrassment of harming people with my goose-bumped, prickly legs. Sorry for that visual, but it's the truth.

We stayed with Justin's grandma during our trip. His parents joined also came for the weekend and his brother came down for the wedding. We all just hung out, ate food and enjoyed everyone's company while there. It was wonderful to see everyone and spend time together -- something that unfortunately doesn't seem will happen with much frequency anymore. It does make me sad that Rolly doesn't get to see some of his relatives very often, but I know most will come visit and, of course, we will get up there too when we get the chance! Washington will always be our home :)

Grandma hasn't been feeling well so Justin picked up a blood pressure cuff to double check things and help put her mind at ease a bit. 

Reading The Animals of Farmer Jones with Grandpa Lee.

 

We went to lunch at Burgerville in Vancouver. It was community appreciation day, and to celebrate they had some state patrol officers, Smokey the Bear and other members and services from the community present. There was also cake and crafts for the kids. Though he wasn't too sure about Smokey when we first arrived, Rolin was playing peekaboo with the bear by the end of our lunch. 

The wedding was at the Fairgate Inn in Camas. Rolin loved playing on the stairs and running around the big rooms in the front of the house. The ceremony was outside under a large, gorgeous tent, and the reception was inside in a cozy and warm great room with large windows and beautiful golden window treatments that made the room almost glow. The rain pouring down outside made it feel all the more romantic inside...perfectly lovely for a wedding, I think.

Team Thompson at the wedding ceremony. Please note Rolin doesn't always eat puffs, but they help keep him quiet and calm :)

Bride Megan and me.

We left early Monday morning and made it back to Phoenix in time to go to the DMV (wheeeee). We made it outta there just before Rolin went into meltdown mode. We were out of snacks, he was tired of the toys, Dinosaur Train on the tablet was no longer entertaining and he had a poopy diaper. Exactly what you'd want to deal with at the DMV, right? The good news is we are now officially licensed in the state of Arizona.

The face of anger and disappointment at the DMV.

May in Review

May was quite the month for Team Thompson. It was full of visitors, road trips and learning just exactly how destructive a 10-month-old baby can be once he figures out how to crawl.

Cousin Maggie came to visit the first weekend of the month to meet Rolin. It was a quick weekend trip, but it replenished my Maggie tank. It's tough being a grownup and a parent...there's just not as much free time to go back and forth to Chicago as often as I please, so I certainly cherish the times I get to see one of my closest and dearest friends in person.

We just took it easy most of the weekend, but we did get to practice our mountain-lion scaring tactics again, you know, so we don't get rusty. Never know when you may cross paths with a cougar.

Mother's Day came the following weekend. My first one as a momma! I blogged previously about the day, so read my "Mother's Day" post if you need a refresher.

Rolin and I headed to Grandview the weekend of May 17 to celebrate my mom's retirement from the school district. It was a lovely evening spent at The Walter Clore Center in Prosser, right next to Desert Wind Winery. Rolin had a rough time in the crowd of new faces, but overall did OK, and we were able to stay for the whole party. He did, however, poop through his party pants, but that's no surprise. Put a cute outfit on a baby and it's only a matter of time before there's poo on it.

It was a beautiful night to be outside and enjoy a view of the river and Horse Heaven Hills. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than the Horse Heavens in the late evening light. What look like brown mounds during the day, the hills turn into a gorgeous mix of purple, yellow, blue and green at twilight. If I could build myself a dream home, it would be near the base of those hills, with a porch angled just so so part of it pointed directly at the hills, while the other would allow a view of the sunset.

I came home Sunday after the retirement party and we welcomed Linsley and Jeff to stay as guests later that night. Ohhh, how I miss my Linsley time! Lots of crying happens when we're together -- crying from laughing so hard, that is! If you need a refresher on Linsley, you can read more about her in my "Ain't no Party like a Motorhome Party" post or my "California Girls" post.

Lins and Jeff left Wednesday and my parents came Thursday. They stayed here on their way to Flathead Lake in Montana for their annual "Indy Weekend" get-together with the Bye family. Justin was gone that week so it was definitely nice to have some extra arms for a few hours Friday morning. Friday was also when Rolin turned 10 months old.

Justin got back Friday night and we all left early Saturday morning for Aberdeen. It was Curtis and Kate's wedding week, and we were fortunate enough to get a whole week off to spend with the family. Plus, we made it to Aberdeen without anyone getting peed on, and I didn't knock over a full bottle of formula on the drivers seat! I'll blog more about our time in Aberdeen soon.

One quick note about our stay in Aberdeen, though. While there, we celebrated Justin's 32nd birthday -- twice! Once on his actual birthday and then again the next day when more of the family could join us. Justin bought himself a bicycle for his birthday, and that's all I have to say about that...

Seriously, don't get me started on the bike.

Anyway, May came and went in a blink of an eye. I hope June goes by fast too because we're looking forward to July; it's the month we celebrate Independence Day, as well as several birthdays, including Rolly's first. We're also going to the beach as a family of three. I can't wait!

Aberdeen Visit

It's been years since both Justin and I were in Aberdeen at the same time. Like four years. Four! Aberdeen is just a long way from everything.

We finally made the trek a few weeks ago as a family of three. The trip was long. As I said, Aberdeen is a long way from everything; with a baby in tow, it's even longer. We could have let him sleep the entire way, and would have made it in about seven hours, but then we would have had a very hungry and very energized 7-month-old baby on our hands. Bedtime would have been ugly. 

via

Yellow dot: Aberdeen. Red dot: Spokane. It's definitely an "over and through the woods" trek to get to grandma's house!

On our last stop, just 45 miles from our destination, things ended up getting ugly anyway. It was rainy, windy and cold (surprised?). We stopped at a gas station to change and feed Rolin. The cold air on baby's bottom triggered a pee storm. When we thought we had things cleaned up, we tried again. Another pee storm ensued. I flew into action, but my actions were too hasty and I knocked a half-prepared bottle (read: lid not screwed on) over and onto the driver's seat. Pretty much the worst seat to dump a bottle onto, right? 

Thankfully, Justin and I just sort of laughed at what had happened. There was nothing we could do about what had transpired besides clean it up, make another bottle, burp the baby and get back on the road. Oh,  memories! 

A few pics from the trip:

Ceiling fan!

Grandpa has waited years to read The Animals of Farmer Jones to a little one again. 

Rolin liked it. 

Karen and I took Kate, my soon-to-be sister-in-law, out on Sunday for brunch and pedicures in Olympia...a mini bridal shower, if you will. I enjoyed the heck out of my child-free pedicure and just about fell asleep on our way to Curtis' house. It was a fun girls' day celebrating Kate. You'll just have to believe me that it happened because I have no photos to prove it. #SILfail!

Here's a pic of the happy couple, for good measure:

They're getting hitched June 1st!

Monday was a day of relaxing around the house and running errands around town as the grandparents took the day off to hang out. The boys had talked their parents into getting a new TV over the weekend (and we gave them our Wii), so of course they convinced their parents they also needed other new gadgets to make their immersion into the world of flat screens complete.

We also had Justin's car detailed (read: had the driver's seat steam cleaned to get the stink out).

Classic Lee.

Watching grandpa mow the lawn. It was also unexpectedly sunny and warm Monday, also known as everybody-mow-your-lawns day.

We went to visit Grandma Karen on Tuesday at her school. She was very excited to introduce Rolin to her co-workers and friends. He was the hit of the lunch room! We almost went to Forks afterward (nerd alert!) because we had nothing better to do, but seeing as though it's at least a two-hour drive away, we decided to do it another time. Instead, we went around the south side of the harbor to have lunch at the Westport Winery -- a surprisingly nice venue with delicious lunch...and wine! We'll be back for sure! It was raining (surprised?) so we took our time at lunch and perused the gift shop before heading to the beach. 

Washington's tallest lighthouse. 

Raining, cold, windy, but I haven't touched the ocean since we left California, so I braved the elements and went out anyway. I scored about eight whole sand dollars too!

You're allowed to drive on the beach in this area of the state. The sand is considered the Pacific Highway. You just have to be smart and not get stuck or sucked into the ocean. 

We left for home Wednesday, but we'll be back in the harbor for Curtis' wedding before we know it. Some 45 or so days from now, if I'm not mistaken! 

Team Thompson does Montana

Rolin and I travelled to Montana earlier this month with Justin on his business trip. We spent most of the time in Bozeman, swung through Missoula and then headed north to Kalispell and Whitefish before heading home. 

I've never even stepped foot in Montana so I was excited to see the Big Sky state. I was also excited to go with Justin on this trip as I know he misses seeing us when he's away, and, of course, we miss him when he's gone. 

Getting to Bozeman was the longest leg of our trip and required quite a few pit stops for feeding and changing of babies: 

Gotta get those burps out. 

Pretty landscape in Idaho.

While Justin went to work, Rolly and I spent the days wandering the Bozeman city streets, perusing the shops and enjoying local art, history and scenery:

"Sacajawea is boring." 

"Hurmph, this turtle art is disappointing." 

The first day in Bozeman it was 79 degrees. A huge storm blew the next day, bringing the daily high to 45 degrees. It also snowed! 

Rolly was ready for the snow!

One of my favorite things I did in Bozeman was visit The Coffee Pot Bakery. It's a country-esq cafe on the outskirts of town, owned and operated by a husband and wife duo. The story of how it came to be is cute: The wife was known for her cinnamon rolls, the husband for his pottery. One day, they stumbled upon an old cabin, purchased it and set up shop for both pottery and cinnamon rolls. Today they sell an assortment of pastries, sandwiches and other fare, along with the pottery. Their cinnamon rolls are delightful, their lattes comforting and their pottery impressive. All dishes and bevvies are served in and on the pottery also. 

Also while in Bozeman, Rolin (somehow) rolled off a hotel chair. While he may have made the leap in observance of his 10th week, the result did not bring celebration. He recovered in mere moments though. He was fine. I still can't figure out how he managed to fall from the chair...he doesn't roll, but one way or another, it happened. I am more scarred than he.

                                 

After Bozeman we stopped in Missoula, then headed up towards Kalispell. Instead of staying in Kalispell we crashed at my cousin Mark's condo in Whitefish (thanks, Mark!). 

Talk about a great time of year to visit the Northern Rockies! The leaves were changing, there was a crispness in the air and the condo fireplace made for cozy evenings. 

Purple mountains majesty. 

Out for an evening walk in Whitefish.

Before heading home we went to Glacier National Park just a few miles east of Whitefish. It was beautiful! Only half of the Going-to-the-Sun scenic road was open, but we surely enjoyed the accessible 16 miles, stopping for many pictures along the way:

Lake McDonald

Lake McDonald (there are several mountain peaks behind those streaky clouds).

Team Thompson

One of three cascades flowing to Lake McDonald.

Another cascade.

JT

While stopped for a feed and a change at the park, 

Rolin said, "Next I shall take over the WORLD!"

Rolin was a stud during our drive through the park. He napped in the car and was excited about seeing his first snow -- it mesmerized him! 

We had a fun trip to Montana, but it's always nice to get back home. We plan to take Rolin back to Montana when he's a little older so we can enjoy the Museum of the Rockies in Montana and go on some hikes in Glacier...maybe...there are bears, and bears are basically land sharks. And we all know how I feel about large sea beasts.