Blessed Vacation

I've come to the decision that the best time to go on a vacation is at the end of summer because then I have the entire summer to look forward to it.  Our vacation spanned from July 27-August 10 (yes, two weeks!) and I honestly expected it to be fall when we got back, and was surprised when it was still 90 degrees in Utah.  And it was a vacation worth looking forward to.  We had a lovely time.
We headed to Jersey first--we stayed with Tyler's parents and enjoyed their company and ate really well.  We ALWAYS eat well with them.  We bummed around a lot, and they helped us prepare for the second part of the trip:  Maine.

Best buds: Greyson and Grandpa

Maine is a far ride from NJ (about 8 hours), and the farther we drove, the farther we got away from it all--the humidity and the real world.  This leg of the trip was with friends--Kyle & Janet and Matt & Krista.  We stayed in a cabin next to a lake in a town called Belgrade Lakes.  It was breathtakingly beautiful.  The cabin was rented for a week full of sunshine and relaxing, which is exactly what we did.  To sum it up, we fished, swam, played in the sand, boated, water skied, wake boarded, tubed (all with only a few injuries), napped in the hammock, cooked dutch oven, roasted marshmallows, read, played games and cards, talked, slept in, killed giant spiders (ew), laid in the sun on the dock, shopped, looked at the stars and saw over a dozen shooting stars, canoed, and hung out.  Some of us went hiking (not my idea of vaca) and some of us played with legos and cars.  Greyson also nearly overcame his fear of dogs, but that is what happens when you are living with two dogs for a week!  One of the days we went to the Bangor State Fair.  We tried to get Greyson to ride a pony, but he refused.  He loved petting rabbits though and liked the other animals, except a lamb who baa-ed at him.  Tyler and Kyle made themselves sick on the Zipper, and then Tyler made it worse by going on the Tilt-A-Whirl with me.  Despite being in Maine for a week, we didn't partake of any lobstah (as they say)!  I did have some delish fish and chips.

Our "home" for the week, a view from the lake

Canoeing

At the "beach"

G and Mom

Greyson did not love the tube so his ride was short lived

Holding on for dear life!

Swimmin'

Two boys fishing

Two more boys fishing

Yay for boats!

Drivers

The Quong Family

Love this shot.

Sun baby

Smiling because we are on vaca

Greyson's can-I-have-some-of-your-drink? face

Pony boys!

Petting bunnies with AJ

Greyson being brave by the puppy

Group shot

After our week in ME, we came back to Jersey to see Tyler's parents again.  We took it easy and went to church on Sunday, but then packed in the fun before we headed home.  Monday we went to Point Pleasant Beach on the Jersey shore.  The waves were pretty rough and the ocean was very cold, so we didn't spend much time in the water.  We played in the waves and Greyson had the most fun with the sand.  He would pick up a handful, wait for a wave to come near him, and then throw the sand at the water!  He buried our feet and his own.  He could have played in the sand all day long!  We strolled up and down the boardwalk, did a little shopping and had a bucket of cheese fries.  It was a hot sunny day--perfect for the beach! 

At the beach

Sand is so much fun!

The family seaside

Tuesday morning we went to the infamous Rice's--the best flea market in Pennsylvania!  There are so many treasures there.  I got a new purse and a $1 hat, Tyler got sunglasses, and Greyson got a frog that swims in the bath.  Then we parted ways and Greyson spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa, and we went to Six Flags.  Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperative and after one ride it started pouring rain.  We waited and waited for it to let up, and when we decided enough was enough and were walking out, it stopped raining and rides opened so we turned around.  We hit all the big roller coasters--our favorites were Nitro and El Torro with their breath-stealing drops and sharp turns!  We got back late, packed, slept a few hours and left too-early-to-be-called morning to get to the airport and fly home.  It was a fun-filled trip, but it was really nice to come home.

Quong Dynasty 2011

When a House is a Home

My Grandma Sudar passed away nearly five years ago, and since then her house has been vacant.  There were plans for the house, but those didn't work out so it has just stayed empty.  My dad has been working to update and remodel so that eventually it can be sold.  The house was built in the 1960s so there is a lot to do, and it's still in the process.  Personally I am not a fan of gold wallpaper and red & white checkered floor so updating seems like a good plan to me.
Tyler graduated in December from BYU which meant we no longer had ties to Provo.  We asked my dad about the possibilty of moving in.  Fortunately, it all worked out.  We moved to Salt Lake at the end of March.  We now live in a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home*!  *one bedroom and bathroom are in the basement which is still being worked on and are not really in liveable condition but we have plenty of space!  We LOVE it.  The location is great--we are a few minutes from I-215 and I-80 so everything is close.  The neighborhood is wonderful--we have made so many friends and there are lots of families, some with kids Greyson's age.  The ward is fantastic--we have felt so welcomed.  Our house is in a circle which we really like, and we have great neighbors all around us.  House things we love: two bathrooms, a garage, a driveway, a yard, a garden, storage space galore, washer and dryer in the basement, space, big(ger) kitchen, a good dishwasher, not sharing walls, big windows, and calling it home. ♥

I feel very blessed to be here, and I know this is where we are supposed to be for now.  I'm not sure if this is where we will end up, but now it's perfect.

Give Me a Sign

It's been too long since I've posted, but I decided to just jump in rather than be overwhelmed by all that I should have done and all the pictures I should have posted and all the events I should have updated.  I decided I'm not posting for anyone else to read (which I worried about too much before!), but just to keep a family history for ourselves.
Greyson amazes us.  He is such a smart little boy.  At about six months, we started watching Baby Signing Time DVDs which teach sign language.  He picked up a couple of basic signs (more, eat) which were really helpful to be able to communicate with the little man.  As he's grown, he uses more and more signs and it seems like every other day he's doing a new sign.  Last night we checked out one of the DVDs from the library (we only own two of them) and as he was watching for the first time, he was trying out the signs!  What a way to make a mom proud! ;)  G now regularly signs more, eat, milk, banana, drink, cereal, cracker, dog (his favorite), bird, cat, sorry, baby, owie/hurt, shoes, socks, hat, car, bike, and train.

Greyson also is a chatter box.  Unfortunately, the only words we recognize are dad/daddy, mom and hi.  Once he very distinctly said "baby" but there is yet to be a repeat of that.  He loves to talk and whenever I am on the phone he wants a turn.  Apparently I say "um" a lot because he has picked up on that and it's now a part of his vocab.  He will have a full conversation with you and tell you all kinds of things--just not in a recognizable language.  Whatever he is saying must be funny because he laughs at it.  It's obvious he's saying something, and I honestly think in his head he really is communicating.  He has tone and inflection and asks questions.  I just wish I knew what he meant!

Six Months in Review

Greyson has reached the ripe old age of six months, and, wow, has time flown! I thought time went by fast before, and then I had a baby and realized I had no idea before! I think doctors schedule check-ups every few months to help parents stay on track. Greyson has grown so much in his first six months of life so here are some of our favorite pix.

December 2009:

Already GQ

January 2010:

Our little gangsta

Crazy hair!

So itty bitty!

Don't you just love his faux hawk?

February 2010:

His first basketball game with Kyle and Janet

Napping with dad

Blessing Day

March 2010:

Naked Nap

So smart!

My mom adores me!

April 2010:

The little Quong family

Helping with the laundry

Flexi-baby!  He loves to eat his feet

May 2010:

1....

2.....

3!!!!!!

Mother's Day (officially a mom!)

Big smiles

June 2010:

So little in the love sac

Greyson LOVES to jump!

Big brown eyes

This baby boy has grown leaps and bounds in the last six months!  He is so much fun and it's amazing to see him grown and learn and develop.  We just can't get enough of him!