a week with grandma and grandpa vaughn

Last week, we were able to spend a wonderful eight days with Grandma and Grandpa Vaughn. They hadn't seen Millie in four months - since she was a year old - and we were so excited for them to be able to spend some time with her and see how much she has changed and grown since then. We had so much fun, and Millie just loved her "Ma-Mah" and "Pa-Pah".

We spent a lot of time just hanging around the house and playing outside, so that Millie could really get to know them, but we also went on two little outings, which were so much fun! First was Cedar Breaks National Monument, about an hour and a half north of here.















It was an absolutely perfect fall day, with cool air and a cool breeze and vibrant yellow leaves. We had a picnic, took pictures at the overlook and enjoyed the smell of pine in the air all afternoon. Millie played for probably a half an hour on this fence!





















A few days later, we went to Staheli Farms to pick some pumpkins and try our luck at the corn maze. Millie enjoyed seeing the animals at the petting zoo, especially the rabbit (even though he nibbled her finger). The best parts, though, were the pumpkin patch and corn maze! While mommy and daddy walked from row to row looking for the best, most Halloween-y pumpkins, Millie walked from pumpkin to pumpkin, looking under leaves like it was a treasure hunt set up especially for her! She touched the pumpkins, tried to pick them up (and was delighted with the small ones she could lift) and even sat down in the dirt and hugged them! She was having so much fun with the pumpkins and the dirt that the farmer who drove us out to the patch suggested she become a pumpkin farmer one day. Considering how much she loves dirt and everything that grows, she just might!















Even though we were in the corn maze for a half an hour or so, we didn't make it through more than a few rows because Millie was so excited by all the treasures she was finding on the ground! It started with rocks - all of which she gave to Grandma to keep in her pocket - but the best part of all were the half-ears of corn scattered in the dirt. She'd hold the ear in her hand and walk slowly along the path, pulling the pieces off one by one and examining them for a few seconds before dropping them on the ground. Perhaps she was being "Gretel", just trying to make sure we didn't get lost in the maze! It was so cute, though, because once she had it in her hand, she wouldn't let go for anything. They really were her little treasures!















The weather while we were at the farm was kind of yucky - the wind was really strong and kept blowing dirt into our eyes. But the wind was blowing in a storm, and it ended up being totally worth it: check out the sunset we saw as we got ready to leave! And yes - this is exactly how the sky looked, no Photoshopping required.















It's so hard to have family scattered across the country. We're glad that Millie can live close by some of her family here in Utah, but we miss the rest of her family in Florida so much. We were so glad that her Grandma and Grandpa were able to come visit - and we're glad that we have another visit planned soon. We love you! :)
















Be sure to check out more pictures here!