day 12 - temple, houses, and doors

Today was spent churching, snoozing, driving, ogling, talking, and dice-rolling (pirate's dice!). Here is the new temple in South Jordan (go ahead and toot your horns South Jordan! Only city in the world with two temples! so exciting). The white tents are for the dedication next weekend. It will be some affair: 

This charming house is right behind the temple... If I lived here, I think I would feel an obligation to go EVERY day. Excuse the green street sign. Now you know where to find it! So cute:
This cute little Daybreak neighborhood next to the temple was incredible. So perfectly manicured, and tended. Every house was very different from the next, but they all coordinated so well! It really reminded us of a movie set: Wisteria Lane or Stepford Wives-ish. 

But my favorites were the doors. Many of them had such gorgeous wreathes: 

Looks like a Pottery Barn catalog: 

I liked this house a bunch when I saw it:

I loved these garage doors: 

Oooo! And this one:

I saw this house and I thought Mark would love it. He loves dramatic lighting and beautiful exterior stonework. He's got good taste. I'm excited to see if he really does like it like I'm expecting him too. we shall see!

Then Stacey drove Tessa and I over to see their first house in So. Jordan. What memories for Mark! Don't you love visiting your childhood homes? So fun. 

Now it's off to Colorado Springs!! Holy traveling.

day 11 - SLC and greens

Goodbye Mt. Rainier! See you soon...

I loved these colors of greens along the Salt Lake when we approached... 

like literal water-colors:

At the Reeders were fresh banana muffins... 

hello muffin top (dual meaning):

We sat outside and visited (I've craved the outdoors - maybe this baby will be a mountain climber like his mother - ha!): 

It was so peaceful outside. Wind chimes and spicket water fountain (say that 3 times.. weird word).  Peaceful, pretty stairs:

Yummy spinach from their garden 

(what I had on my burger AND salad, AND for dinner)

This little boy is getting so strong. Like Popeye:

Stacey is waiting for finches to find her mounted tea-cup with seeds: 

When Tessa came to join us, she and Molly made these.. YUM:  

While they worked, Tessa still found time to take a picture for Mark:

Then while I worked on my muffin top, they worked off the cookies:

What cute helmet heads!! I love these girls. 

day 10 - Ikea, packing, toting, and tucking

Busy day! This morning was filled with a run to Target and TJMaxx with my mom, found a great tote to use a diaper bag! I'm so excited about it. But then! I got a call from a friend's husband saying he was going to be at the IKEA soon, so we packed up mine and Tessa's old crib and set out to meet him. Hello, Ikea: 

He was in a frantic rush, so my dad and I stepped inside this glorious furniture heaven and helped him rush through his lists. It was crazy!! But we found nearly everything on his list. 
Here is the non-diaper-bag, diaper-bag. I figured my kiddo is going to be my work, so why not look super chic changing diapers with a "work tote"!? We'll see if it works as well as I am hoping. It is bigger than it looks:

See inside? that's one of my favorite color combinations. Bright green + black. I don't think it stems from high school colors, I just love the colors together! Anyway, two of the zippers actually make up a pouch that can be removed for extra room:
I'm all packed up and ready for SLC tomorrow. This little guy doesn't know that I'm leaving. Let's try not to disturb him with the bad news... 
When I came back into my room tonight after brushing my teeth, I saw my mom had tucked him in under a blanket she knotted for him. We were laughing so hard! That was about an hour ago, and he is still in the EXACT same spot. What a spoiled little pooch! Good thing he's so sweet. 

SLC here I come! 

day 9 - planes and piano

Everyone, I think, has had an 'airport moment.' This afternoon we had to send this girl back to SLC, so she can make some dinero. I couldn't just give her one hug, so I gave her two. We miss her! The house is too quiet now. 

So to make some noise tonight, I sat down at this big ole' stringed instrument and had some fun. 
I began with this song:
Written by this guy: 
Then wanted a little more of a challenge so I tried this one.. it was more familiar than I thought it would be; I guess I've heard it before! Go Chopin!
Even with an electric piano at home, and playing wall pianos at church every Sunday for primary, I miss the sound a Grand can make. Especially my mom's Yamaha. When I was once at a piano retailer with Mark, we were asking about all the different sounds of pianos, prices, comparisons, information of all sorts. When the experienced older woman explained the Yamaha's trademark sound, I got a wave of nostalgia for my mom's piano. "It sounds like sunshine. Bright and light." I love it's sound. Mark likes the softer, rich sound of his parents', while I can't get enough of my mom's playing and her piano!

PS to Aubrey - I was thinking of you while your party is going on! (currently) and hope it's a smash! Can't wait to hear about it and see the faves. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, tomorrow!

day 8 - clever. don's and dolls

Today's activities began after my parents' daily routine of walking and gardening. We had our lunch/dinner (lunner?) at this place. Everything I've had here has been so yummy. I'm going to gain about 45 lbs. on this trip. Don't tell anyone. 

After lunch we drove to Owen Beach at Point Defiance. So green:

Don's (you'll meet Don's Market in a moment) kayak rentals:

Driftwood on Owen Beach... La Push?

Puget Sound from Owen Beach:

Then we visited Clever. (check out her blog!)

Her name is Heidi Grace, and we all got to meet her; she even loved Buckwheat! 

You may have even seen her line before if you like paper products and 

all sorts of crafty stuff: 

cute little candy jars dot her shop:

clever., right?

I love mossy stuff, bird cages, and cards. Combined? Ideal!

Above the check out counter is a huge chandelier she's hung with her artwork behind:

a little somethin' somethin' for the baby boy:

more cute cleverness:

I love mobiles, and this is pretty cute!

Her shop is an old street front, with a few doors on the side that were worth a photograph:

Tessa looked pretty urban next to that bright blue color:

Next stop was her neighbor, Don's Market:

Inside, there's a little market, plus an old-time soda bar. 

You can sit here:

or here: 

Along with the market-goods, there are old pieces of the town on display. 

I almost asked if these were for sale. I'd love some:

I ordered a strawberry/banana milkshake. Perhaps I should up my weight gain prediction to 46 lbs?

mmmm:

Final stop of the day was a neighbor of my parents. In the 80s, she got into Barbies. 

Lots and lots and lots of Barbies:

Along with sewing many of the outfits, she has made little perfume-bottles like this (we loved these):

A hippie barbie (peace and love, man). Inside the glass case she looked like a store's manikin:

My favorite, the Red Riding outfit she designed:

And an Around the World Barbie:

It was a full, fun, filling, fun, fun day!