Utah.

We went to Utah last-minute for Grandma Grow's funeral. Growing up in a family that doesn't really do burials and doesn't really do funerals means that they always feel new to me - but I really like that really, they serve as happy family reunions (a preview of what is to come, I'd imagine). We had a nice time seeing the extended Grow family, Mike's siblings and my sisters in Utah. 

The mountains! Oh, Texas. You need to grow some. 

(It was a quick 48 hour trip. We left the boys with Shelby Skeen in Texas - so grateful - and barely had time for anything other than funeral events, although we did sneak in a trip up to Sundance, breakfast at Magelby's, some In 'N Out and lunch at Cafe Rio. Basically, we just ate our way through Utah.)

 

Nature.

I hate to even post the bottom photo of Mike & me for two reason: a) nursing boobs make me want to throw up a little bit & b) my hair is growing approximately 17 inches per month, making me look like a polygamist immediately after getting my hair cut. Bang trim, anyone? I'll have to go for a nice bob at my appointment tomorrow or something. Anyway. It's the only photo of us from the trip, so it will have to do. And poor Quinn wasn't invited to be in our little family portrait. He was in the car seat, & probably (maybe?) sleeping or something. Sorry, Q. 

We had dinner up Millcreek Canyon at Log Haven. So pretty! Makes me wish a little bit that NYC had some mountains in the middle, besides that one hill in Central Park that always makes me get out of breath when I walk up it (Suzi, remember that one? You were pushing your stroller, I was pushing Quinn, & maybe I almost died from exhaustion by the time we got to the top? On the way to waffles?). Anyway. The setting was beautiful & perfect & made me miss the cabin a little bit. Something about snow, & winter, & pretty lights... 

When we walked out the door after dinner Mike said, What's that smell?! My response: Nature!

In Utah.

We: made the obligatory food stops at In 'n Out & Cafe Rio, & Magleby's Fresh // drove up to Sundance (my favorite) // spent lots of time with sisters Elizabeth & Joanna // saw a few friends (J & Kellie at Market Street Grill for brunch, Mindy at Fashion Place Mall & Erin at her home in Provo) // had a lovely dinner at Log Haven with Mike's brother Dave + girlfriend Lauren (Q behaved quite well) // introduced Q to Grandma Whiting in Mapleton

(Last year when we were in Utah around this time I was 8 weeks pregnant. This year, we had Quinn with us. Fun! And less nauseating, which was a lovely change.)

*I will also admit to eating a sausage, egg & cheese McGriddle for breakfast one morning. I promise I only do this once a year. It was SO. GOOD. Shh. 

A brief discussion on a few Provo food options.

Sweet potato fries at Guru's. I loved Guru's when I lived in Provo. How did I miss these?! I had them not once, but three times during my 10-day trip. Once with mother + sister, once with brother-in-law Dave & once with friend Kylie.  I need to make these very soon. Yum.  

Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcakes. Being a NYC food snob & all (you can't blame me), I was skeptical. Loved these, especially the Strawberry Shortcake, the Lemon & the VaNIElla (my very favorite). Pretty, too. Nice job, Provo.

Cafe Rio (No Photos Allowed On Premises!! they say). Confession: I think I'd rather have Chipotle. That's probably some sort of BYU alumni sin, but I prefer fresh & light over heavy & cheesy (kind of like how I prefer my favorite enchilada recipe over anything especially cheesy & saucy). I could only eat about 1/4th of this massive burrito before the silver to-go lid was popped on. The sad story is that Mike & I took an LSAT prep class just around the corner from Cafe Rio our senior year, & we ate at Cafe Rio often. AND I'D EAT THE ENTIRE BURRITO! Not even the salad. The burrito. I'm not quite sure how that happened, or how I didn't weight 400 pounds by the time we got married.

I already mentioned our other eatings while in Utah. Suffice it to say, we're eating quite sensibly back in New York this week. 

In N Out.

I like mine Animal Style, with cheese. And I determined that I prefer no pickles & no lettuce. Please.

We went three times in Utah. I'm still detoxing.

I still like Shake Shack best. But I love In N Out (& Five Guys, too). 

Although why are their shakes so thick?! The thickness is really excessive, I think.

Tara's kids obviously loved it, too. Spencer, especially. Ellie even ate her ENTIRE hamburger, & then asked for another. Not bad for a girl who eats every other day & gets full on water.

(Spencer's dark circles under his eyes? Tara & her family had arrived the night before & the kids stayed up way too late playing with their friends that they were staying with. I tried some of my Erase Paste on him - it generally cures even my darkest of circles - & it didn't make the slightest difference. Poor guy.)

Sundance.

A Utah trip isn't complete without time spent at Sundance. It's one of my very favorite places on the planet, maybe because it kind of reminds me of Priest Lake. The smell! The views! The snow! The food! The memories! It's just amazing, & equally magical in the summer I think, too. 

Our first trip up was with my family, killing some Sabbath-appropriate time on the Sunday afternoon post-wedding. Our second stop was for a day-after-Valentine's dinner with Mike's grandmother & brother. Brunch, lunch or dinner - the food & atmosphere just makes me happy, happy (even if their trying-to-be-like-NYC prices really don't). 

Meet the Hudson Family Tree.

We had our family photos taken the day before Joanna's wedding, with ALL OF US (except Cameron, who sadly couldn't be there - we were 99.9% complete). We've grown exponentially over the past few years & it felt like such a massive group, but we all survived & even managed to snap some candids afterwards of our individual families. Please excuse the glaring sunlight. It was a really bright day.