a scoop of family and a side of cough syrup

this past weekend we went home for a short surprise visit. a little belated birthday shopping, my dad's big 64th birthday and our anniversary rolled into one mini excursion. it was bliss, despite catching a terrible cold and losing my voice completely. (seriously, i've never been so raspy. it's hilarious.) however we still managed to have a lot of fun. mostly because of all the good company.


this is jason and whit. the cutest couple i know. don't they look charmingly matchy matchy in this photo? i think they should be in magazines. saturday we ate brunch together at our favorite diner in the mountains, ruth's. we had hot cocoa and ruth's famous mile high biscuits. completely out of the ordinary, my whispy whit ordered the steak omelet special. this still makes me laugh. i think she preferred my tomato, eggs and fancy cheese dish. i love when you're with company you can share bites with. it was just as it should be; fall leaves changing, road bikers pedaling and puffing up the hills, and a little bit of catching up over a medley of delicious calories.

it was a a rare indulgence. whit and i got to shop and chit chat the whole day. she picks out the best clothes and always knows how to help me in the fashion department. she is forever the one to listen to my ramblings. even when my voice is hoarse and scratchy. she played trucks with benj and hung out for last minute strawberries and crackers and later sent me to bed to hurry and get better. 

sunday we saw our families (yay), ate sarah's general conference crepes and ramekins of trail mix. dan was even in a play with my little nieces and nephews. it's a tradional event. the kids run down to the basement, dress up and make up a play before the night's end. later they'll run up the stairs enthusiastically and hang signs to direct us to where the play will be held. we had good seats and paid a penny for each ticket. my dad opened his presents and told us how much he loved us. we all adore him. i love the whirlwind of a weekend with family. just wish it could last longer.

p.s. my mom impressed us all by figuring out how to post a special youtube slideshow to celebrate my dad's birthday. how rad is that? it doesn't get much better than vintage family photographs.