... And We're Back!

Yep, we've been gone ... again!! This time it was just Maddie and I, and it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment trip. As I mentioned in my last post, Jordan is usually gone most of the day now which means long lonely hours for the little one and I! Consequently, my Mom has been trying to get me up to Idaho to spend some time with my family since Jordan's gone so much anyway. My truck-driver Dad even got in on the action by offering to pick us up anytime he was coming through Utah heading north. I'd been putting them off for the last month or so (something about loving and missing my husband), but finally my Dad made me an offer I couldn't refuse - a surprise visit for my Mom. He called me one Wednesday morning, and after much internal debate (and a few tears, I'm not ashamed to admit) by Thursday at noon, Maddie and I were on our way!!

The trip was so much fun!! We got to Post Falls Friday afternoon and spent 8 days. Being in the truck made the drive a lot easier for both of us, and my Mom was totally shocked and thrilled we were there!!! I've been a little concerned of late that Maddie has been getting more clingy now that it's really just her and I so I'm happy to report that she had a great time with her aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even great-grandma! She got so comfortable that on the plane ride home (yep, we ended up flying home ... it's always an adventure with my family), she was reaching out and smiling at everyone on the plane! She also got her first taste of food - rice cereal and carrots - and her first big-girl bath in the bathtub! She totally loved both. We even went to Seattle one day for a special Navy ceremony in which my older brother was made a Chief Petty Officer. He's been stationed in Italy and Guam for the last several years so it had been a long time since I had seen him. I had never even met his wife and two kids!

While it was definitely tough to be away from Jordan for so long, I guess it's true when they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I think he asked me pretty much every time we talked when we were coming home! And boy did Maddie have A LOT to tell her Dad when we got home - she babbled pretty much the whole afternoon! Our little six-month-old has now been in eight states - California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington. We've decided we better take a trip to Oregon soon just to finish up her western tour! :)

So here's a few pics from our trip - I have to admit I was so busy taking millions of cell phone pics of Maddie to send to Jordan every day that I kind of forgot about my camera. Oh well. A special sorry to my cute sisters and my parents, who for some reason didn't make it any of the shots! Oh, and one more thing. I did something pretty crazy (well, at least for me) while we were there but I've decided that there's a few people I want to find out in person instead of on the blog (yes, Dad, I'm talking to you). So stay tuned for those pics in a couple weeks!!

 

Hanging out on the four-wheeler with Uncle Sam 

Uncle Adam in his football uniform with his favorite little cheerleader!

Another picture with Uncle Adam. Adam is my littlest brother (9 years old), and he totally LOVES Maddie! He always wanted to hold her and hated when she was down for naps!

The cute girl with with Aunt Katie at one of the kids' football games

 Uncle Sam and Maddie after his football game. He must've been sweaty and smelly - that's why she's making that face :)

Our first real food!!! She LOVED eating. She had her mouth open before I even had the first spoonful ready for her and just gulped it down! Not that we're surprised - she gets her love of food genetically ;)