I spent the last week and a half running around like mad Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities with Lilly, visiting family back home in Iowa. What a crazy crazy week but it was sooo worth it to see everyone!

Lilly and I flew out solo on the 16th to Cedar Rapids to visit with my sister. Ray had classes and had to stay home and couldn’t get to us till Thanksgiving Day. Flying solo with a 2 month old is a little overwhelming (so is changing a diaper at 33,000 feet!). Our flight back was soooo relaxing because Ray was with us and we took turns.

Prepping Lilly for Iowa:

Lilly met soooo much of her family (we missed a few people but we’ll get them on the next round). We spent mornings with Aunt Jen, drinkin’ coffee and warming up in her sun-room. (Note, Jen and I were drinking coffee, not Lilly…

We met up with both sides of our family, it was a bit of a whirl-wind of events because we had to cram visiting Ray’s side of the family in the 2 short days he was with us.

We didn’t get any snow while we were there, but that’s probably a good thing. I can take Lilly up north in a couple years when I want to get pics of her with snow, and then come back down the mountain to warmth.

I did get pictures of squirrels this time though when I was home!

I LOVE squirrels, no idea why, I just think they’re awesome.  If I had a dream life, like I could do anything I wanted, I think I would spend summers up north with my family and whittle away the summer days feeding squirrels. Seriously. Phoenix area doesn’t seem to have them. I guess they are up north in the mountains but not here.

The weather was divine for Iowa on Thanksgiving but Iowa sent us back home with a subtle reminder of why we left, cold wet nasty icky rain… not a wonderful summer rolling thunderstorm, but 40′ish degrees and raining ickyness.

When we got off the plane in Arizona, I melted… I will miss my family terribly but ahhhhhhh, sunshine and warmth, how I have missed you!!!!