One Last Hurrah Before Baby-Time!

It's been awesome having Jen and Rusty living in Fallon, NV the past 8 months or so because we have seen each other so much more than we have in years when they lived further east. Still, even with them being a 6-8 hour drive away, I had yet to make it out to see them and it was definitely time to venture to the land of Fallon and check it out. That, and I have about six weeks left before I'm living life with a newborn, and Jen is our usual 5-6 weeks distance from her own. We figured it would be one last time to travel and visit for a few months. Pawnee sacrificed time away from all her kids to fly solo and be there with us, too! It was different not having Ethan there as part of the usual "little trio" since they were all born almost 2 years ago (crazy!), but I think Pawn enjoyed the trip. = )

 

 

I flew out two days earlier than Pawnee did with Aiyana in tow, and we had a relaxing two days hanging out at home and letting the cousins play. When Pawn arrived, we ate delicious food at B.J.'s in Reno and then spent the next three days together in Fallon, making easy yet delicious meals and enjoying quiet evenings talking and watching movies. We also had fun helping Jen put up her cute home decor that has been in boxes all this time. I think she's finally resigned to the fact that she'll be there another year or so. We were so excited figuring it out together!

 

 Fallon is colder there than I expected -- similar to the milder Provo temperatures I experienced most of the time I lived there, so we didn't go outside a ton. But during nap time on Saturday while Rusty stayed with the sleeping kids, the three of us toured Main Street with a short drive and walking around, discovering new stores for Jen and fun little Mom & Pop restaurants. While it must be difficult not having the usual chain restaurants around, I still loved the unique dining. Our favorite was eating breakfast at this adorable cafe that mastered both taste and presentation. Beautiful, delicious dishes! I will definitely be going back next time I come visit.

 

 Gourmet blueberry french toast with croissant

 

Eggs Benedict

Cool antique shop we ventured into. Pawn left with some neat purchases.

 

 

 

Baby Sprinkle for Jen! (I think that term is so cute)

 

 

 

This is the diaper bag Pawn used for Ethan. Pawn and I were going to purchase Jen a new bag but decided to invest our money into other items. Fortunately, Jen was more than happy to receive this stylish hand-me-down that Pawn kept in great condition.

 

 

 

Jen constantly amazes me with the ease in which she cares for her kids. She makes having two look so easy! Granted, her kids have pretty calm, happy demeanor but even still, Jen just knows how to stay on top of things. One night, Pawn and I left her for about 40 minutes with all three kids and when I came home, she had all three kids dressed in P.J's with teeth brushed and busy reading books! Having a newborn will be trickier, I'm sure, but I'm confident Jen will pass the test of three with flying colors. (And if not, I'm only a teary phone-call away, so no pressure!)

 



 

Aunt Pawnee doing the girl's hair one night. She was so helpful with bathing and playing with the kids to prevent unnecessary bending over for the pregnant mamas. Thanks, Pawn!

 

 

Uncle Rusty dancing with Kylana, Brax, and Aiyana. They loved the music every day and, despite some hair-pulling, hitting, and stealing of toys off and on, the kids played great together. It's so satisfying to hear playful screeching as they chased one another around the apartment.

 

Attempted photo-shoot before our departure on Sunday morning:

 

 

"Get off, Brax!!"

 

"A kiss is ok, though. . . " Kissin' Cousins. At what age do we put an end to this?

 

Beautiful Kylana with her hair freshly un-braided. She's so gorgeous! And so sweet. One of the last things Dan told Aiyana was, "You be nice to Kylana. She is too sweet for you to mess with." Aiya didn't really follow that advice too much. I loved hearing Kylana's voice complaining, "Aiya-Paya hit me. Too rough!" (a phrase Rusty taught her to fend herself off from bully-children in nursery or play-dates)

 

Love my sisters and that we make an effort to see each other as much as we can.