I STILL have not blogged about our trip to Utah in February!
It was such a great trip, and there were SO many things that I we did on that trip that I have wanted to blog about! So I'm just going to throw it all out there on this post!
First things first! I lost my Grandpa Thompson on March 12, 2009.
He had just turned 95 in February and Shane, Mason and I were able to visit with him while we were in Utah just 3 weeks before he passed. Here's a picture of my family who was able to get together. For most of us, it was the last time we got to see my Grandpa alive. He was his usual self, and I'm glad that he was able to go quickly, and so pridefully.
I'm sad that he has passed on, but know that he in the best of all places! He did a lot for me when I was a little girl. He and my Grandma helped raise me until just before I turned 5 when I came to live with my adopted parents in CA. I have a lot of great and fun little memories of him that I will always remember! I was glad to be able to go back to Utah in March for his funeral. Most of my cousins were there, and it was fun catching up with everyone.
Here is Mason's first, and only picture with his Great Grandpa Thompson.
Our trip in February to Utah was a lot of FUN! Mason and I spent 8 days there and were able to visit everyone I could think of during that time! Shane was there through a long weekend and went home on Monday evening. It was also fun for him to get away from his busy work week and spend some time with his family!
Mason LOVED going on an airplane! He now calls ALL airplanes "Jet Blue"!! And was so in AWE of being able to get THIS CLOSE to an airplane before we boarded in Long Beach!
Right after we got to Utah, one of the first things we did was go to the Draper Temple Open House. IT WAS COLD! And since we hadn't gotten into our suitcases yet to pull out our winter coats and clothes.. we FROZE the entire afternoon! lol! BUT, I was smart enough to bring enough layers for Mason to wear! And I was able to snap this cute pic of him all bundled up that first night!!
Shane really wanted to go out to the Syracuse Cemetery and put flowers on his grandparents grave. While doing so, we realized that my Great Great Grandma was buried right next to his grandparents! And after talking with my Grandpa Thompson, and Shane's Dad, We were able to learn a lot about our ancestors on this trip. We found out that my Great Great Grandma and her kids were good friends with The Dahl's in Syracuse. We were even able to go to the Syracuse City Museum and read stories and look at pictures of our two families! When you can go back 100 years and see how close our two families were.. it's pretty neat! (we were a little worried for a second that we were related!! lol! But it turns out one of my Aunts Married one of Shane's Uncles.. so no blood relations here!!!)
We were lucky enought o have MISSED the major rain/snow storn that Utah had just two days before our arrival! So we got to enjoy the benefits of having a snow white trip.. with out all the yucky weather to go along with it! The entire time it the weather was good, and the skies were blue.. AND we glot lots of play time in the snow! Mason made MANY snow angels! And he COULD NOT wait to build a snow man and throw some snow balls! Here are some of my favorites of his snow adventures!
Mason's first snow angel!
Participating in a neighborhood snowball fight!
Building a snow man with Grandpa Shaffer.
And just being a BOY!
I also got to spend some time with my Biological Dad (Al), His Wife and her kids and grandkids (Connie and Jessica) and my his parents my Grandma and Grandpa Kimball.
(One of these days I will dedicate a blog about my adoption story!! It may help make some of these posts and pictures make a little more sense!! But for now.. here are my pictures or pieces to my my life's history puzzle! lol!)
It's always a lot of fun getting together with them and I'm glad they were able to set aside some time for us to get together!
While I was there, My niece Tara went into the MTC and Mason and I were lucky enough to tag along with my Sister, My Mom and Tara when she was dropped off! She was SO excited to go on her mission, that she didn't show an ounce of nerves.. until it was time to say goodbye! And even then.. there were only a few tears! She's going to be an AWESOME missionary! She was so eager and ready to serve! She's been gone for just over two months now and we already miss her SO SO MUCH!MASON AND LIZARDS!!!
At the end of my long trip, My mom, Nancy, Mason, and I took a drive up to Logan to visit with my little sister Amy. She is getting married in just over two weeks and I wanted to meet her fiance and see where she calls home! since I am TOO pregnant to be at her wedding!! (sniff!!) And my Dr has told me pretty plainly.. NO!! You can not go!! (sniff! sniff!)
Amy has 2 lizards (a gecko, and a bearded dragon), and her roommate also had a few. She took us back to her apartment to check them out.
Needless to say.. Mason was in HEAVEN! He got a pretty big kick out of her lizards.. and Amy was brave enough to take them out and let Mason HOLD them.. and also let them climb all over my very excited 2 year old!At one point the lizards jumped out of Mason's hands and (luckily) Amy caught it! Mason just though this was hilarious.. and I was alble to catch his cute belly laugh!
I was pretty amazed at how brave Mason was! He even wanted to KISS the top of her bearded dragon's head! (I don't think I would even want to do that!!)
Needless to say.. we have visited many pet stores since we've been home because Mason wants to check out their lizards! For about a month after our trip.. Mason asked me almost DAILY if he could have a "Lizard" or a "Bearded Dragon". Uhmmm... NO! I have told him he has to be at least 16 before we're even negotiating that one! lol!
One last thing to mention.. Shane's family had property and homes up and down the main road in Syracuse. Just recently, they were bought by the city/county so that they could widen the roads. We took a few pictures at the beginning of our trip of some of their homes.. and at the end of the week, I happened to be driving by and they were in the process of tearing them down.
We knew it was going to be happening, but it was still pretty shocking to see it go from this to the next picture in exactly one weeks time. We were glad that we were able to capture a picture of the properties (and the memories) one last time!
We really did have a GREAT time on this trip! Thank you to Mary Lou, Jim, and Danny for hosting our family while we were in town! (Mary Lou is my biological mom!) We enjoyed being able to play and spend lots and lots of time catching up! Mason LOVED building snowmans and having snow ball fights with Jim & Danny! He still things Utah is just off in the distance in the mountains.. and when it's a clear day.. he'll point to the mountains and say "Can we go to Grandma Shaffer's house??" Or "Can we go on a Jet Blue to Utah??"
Mason built his snowman with Grandpa Shaffer on Monday afternoon, and by the time we left on Friday... Here is all that was left! I constantly kept singing "Once there was a Snow Man" the entire week in anticipation for this moment.. but to a 2 year old.. it's still devestating to see your beloved snow man melt away!
And with that said.. I think it's appropriate to say:
THE END!!!
One last thing to mention.. Shane's family had property and homes up and down the main road in Syracuse. Just recently, they were bought by the city/county so that they could widen the roads. We took a few pictures at the beginning of our trip of some of their homes.. and at the end of the week, I happened to be driving by and they were in the process of tearing them down.
We knew it was going to be happening, but it was still pretty shocking to see it go from this to the next picture in exactly one weeks time. We were glad that we were able to capture a picture of the properties (and the memories) one last time!
Mason built his snowman with Grandpa Shaffer on Monday afternoon, and by the time we left on Friday... Here is all that was left! I constantly kept singing "Once there was a Snow Man" the entire week in anticipation for this moment.. but to a 2 year old.. it's still devestating to see your beloved snow man melt away!
And with that said.. I think it's appropriate to say:THE END!!!
