My new fuzzy orange chair

We just spent this weekend in Wyoming at a family reunion that was absolutely perfect. I wasn't sure that things were going to be so great on Friday afternoon during the long drive, which included a stop to get my sister at the airport in Salt Lake before heading up. Things started looking up when she bought us all ice cream bars in Evanston at the Maverik. Two hours later we pulled into my aunt's driveway and I immediately started to relax thanks to the clean mountain air and the gorgeous scenery. My aunt is amazing for hosting everyone at her home (not everyone slept there), and it was a fabulous time. Friday night we ate burgers around a bonfire in the yard and the kids ate smores with freshly roasted marshmallows. The next day we got up, had a big pancake breakfast, and headed over to my grandmother's house to work on cleaning it out. She passed away three years ago, but this weekend was a good opportunity to help my uncle clean things out. There was plenty of junk, like ancient food storage and a massive collection of cottage cheese containers, but also some fun treasures like the postcards my great uncle the pilot sent from all over Europe during the 1960s. Saturday afternoon the kids got to go for some short horse rides, then we had a program that centered on my grandfather and his life. We had a big dinner with some super tasty dutch oven chicken and potatoes and then went into town to visit the cemetery (it's a tradition). One of the most relaxing parts for me was having so many other people around for my kids to play with. Many of my cousins have kids that are similar ages, plus my parents and most of my siblings were there to entertain the kids too. It was nice to not have a schedule and to just relax and have fun eating and talking with other people. Even the drive back yesterday went well and we got home as quickly as possible.


And so, the chair. For as long as I can remember, this chair has been in my grandma's living room. It was in the corner near the doorway to the kitchen, convenient for chatting on the phone or for reading one of the magazines from the stack that always seemed to cover the brown desk next to it. We need more living room furniture and my uncle is trying to fix up the house, so I asked if we could have it. Thankfully my parents were there with their truck to transport it to our home on their way back south. It is comfortable and nostalgic all at the same time and I'm glad I have it to remember my grandmother by. I'm looking forward to cuddling our new baby in it this winter and I hope it will last a while for us. I think it also is a great symbol of my grandmother: it's not very flashy and not the most stylish, but it's exceedingly comfortable and welcoming just the same.