Idaho Getaway Part 1 - Grandma & Grandpa Nordfelts house

August is my favorite month to visit Idaho. When Utah heat reaches it high point...there's nothing like the cool breeze, fresh air, and sweet raspberries of Idaho to remind me of all the reasons I love summer.

Arnold and I love Idaho! If it weren't for the winters, we'd be packing our bags for a move tomorrow. We hadn't been to Idaho since Reese was just 6 weeks old, so several months ago we planned this weekend trip.

And we're off...Reese all snuggled in for the 4 hour drive. We discovered the trick for a peaceful ride...a DVD player and several Sesame Street DVDs. She's set!

I love my parents yard. One day...one day!

Arnold and Reese enjoying the beautiful yard and weather. Reese didn't know what to do with so much grass to play on.

And then there are the raspberries. Fresh picked from my parents garden. When I was a little girl, my brothers & sister, cousins and I loved sneaking into our grandparents garden and eating raspberries right off the bush.

I had to pass on the tradition to Reese.

In it goes...

and out it comes...a little too tart for her baby taste buds...but she loves them in her oatmeal.

Grandpa & Reese, learning to go down the stairs.

Grandma & Reese, playing in the backyard.

Mommy daughter pedicures...

A rite of passage...Reese's first pedicure.

We had so much fun, and now we have matching toes...so cute!

Picking the color.

Holding still...not so easy for Reese.

She had to have lots of distractions...like dumping out all the nailpolish.

So Fun!

Pretty toes!

Mommy and Reese...matching toes!

The best part for Reese...when she was all done and mommy let her freely play with all the nail supplies!

Yesterdays randomness...

Yesterday Arnold's advertising agency did a bunch of photo shoots for the their 2010 advertising. One of the shoots was up at Bridalveil Falls and they needed families. Our friends and neighbors, the Woods, volunteered to be models. Reese and I went up to watch for a while. I couldn't resist to snap a couple of these shots. They're pretty random and I'm probably the only one that thinks their funny, but oh well.

This one's just for me...Reese is walking more and more these days. Around the house she's a pro, but outside she's still wants to crawl everywhere. I think she's just so excited to be outside and crawling is a much quicker way for her to get around. But every now and then I can catch her walking outside. Here she's trying to dig through April's bag because she wants a treat.

Ok, here's where it gets funny. Poor little Brayden Wood was obviously getting tired of all the standing around...it's such hard work to be a model. He decided to take a little rest in the middle of the path.

Until Reese interrupted him and tried to take away his airplane. That got him moving pretty quick.

But he just changed positions. So Reese sat like this, jabbering at Brayden, as if to say..."What's wrong with you Brayden, do you want some of my water?"

I love that kids can be in their own world, despite the craziness around them. Other models, photographers, tourists, not even an annoying baby trying to take away his plane...can phase Brayden.

And they say cell phones are a driving distraction...

Not for me...this is my biggest distraction. I mean when I can so easily turn around and look at all this adorableness...it's so hard to keep my eyes on the road!

Maybe they should outlaw forward facing car seats?!

Birthday Fun...part three...neighborhood party...

Arnold planned a little neighborhood birthday gathering for me. It was a lot of fun. We live in the best neighborhood with tons of kids and tons of fun. I didn't get very many pictures, but we always have fun hanging with our neighbors.

Reese had the most fun...she found someones cake on the ground and helped herself. She thought it was her birthday.

All the neighbor boys racing their bikes.

When Reese wasn't helping herself to cake, she had a fun time playing.

One of Reese's little friends. Brooklyn Wood. She's 6 weeks older than Reese. She is so cute!

Holden Bunker, another friend. He was lovin him some frosting!

Birthday Fun...part two...family time...

Arnold came home from work early to hang out with us. He also surprised me with beautiful flowers and peanut M&M's. He's such a sweet husband!

I tried to get a picture of me and Reese, but she wasn't very cooperative. These were the best I could get.

Reese clapping through the phone for Aunt Audrey.

Reese confused by speaker phone. She looks so cute just standing there though!

Reese climbing on daddy! She looks mad, but she was actually laughing.

Now she's mad...she doesn't know why she can't play with the camera.

The beautiful flowers that Arnold gave me.

Birthday Fun...part one...the Lindon pool

First of all...I can't believe that I'm 35! How did that sneak up on me. But I had a great birthday. We spent the afternoon at the Lindon pool with some of our friends and my sister and nieces. Reese had such a great time playing in the water with her cousins Riley and Mycol. She also went down the slide with me for the first time.

Reese and mommy coming down the slide!

And she survived...yea!

Clapping in the water with Mycol. Clapping is Reese's new favorite thing. She claps for everything and everyone.

Reese has no fear in the water. It was nice to have Riley and Mycol to chase her around instead of me.

Riley, Mycol & Reese. Reese was more interested in her cracker.

Reese and Aunt Jen...clapping!

My little teething dreamer...

Yesterday Reese didn't wake up until 9 a.m. This morning she slept until 9 a.m. again. Then she went down for a nap at 10:30 a.m. It's now 2:30 p.m. and she's still asleep. I just went and checked on her and she's still breathing, but out cold. We did notice a new tooth coming in yesterday, maybe it's the teething. She's done this same thing for every tooth. She sleeps right through them.

How did I get so lucky to have a child who sleeps more when she's teething and/or sick?? I tell ya, Reese spoils me. It makes me nervous for her toddler years...or teenage years. At some point I'm sure she's going to get me.

Date night with The Fray!

My brother gave us six tickets to The Fray for Saturday night. We invited some friends and had a fun date night out with "The Fray". It's always fun to do something a little different, and even better when it's free and you can share it with good friends.

Thanks Meghann & Mike for babysitting Reese for us! She loved you guys, and I'm not sure what you did to her, but she slept in until 9 a.m. this morning. That was a nice little treat for a Sunday morning!!

Arnold and me in another of our famous self shot photos.

April & Dale Wood; Arnold & Mindi; Iliana & Dave Gardner

Usanna Amphitheatre - The Fray