The Great Utah Outdoors

I am not sure why I am painfully slow at keeping up with this summer blog. I do believe that the crappy Middle Eastern heat has halted my brain a bit. The minute I got off the plane in Doha my motivation level plummeted. Arriving in Qatar, during summer, in the middle of Ramadan was a bad idea. Bad.

Our time in Utah was blissful on many levels, but two of my favorites were the following:

First is that we got to experience summer in the mountains. Not even breaking a sweat. Without the a/c full blast in our car or home. Inhaling the fresh air. Seeing green. Oxygen.

Asa (the cautious one) climbing trees at 3 years old.

Roasting pork infused marshmallows. Let me tell you, the pork is the secret ingredient. No marshmallow roasts like a good, old white pig puff.

Impromptu water fight brought on by my daughter. She is not shy, reserved or insecure. She went for the tall, strong teenage boys first and almost took on all the older cousins single-handedly.

Number two reason for bliss was all the cousin love. There was SO much love to have. All the kids had a friend and someone to hang with. The conversations and the activities never stopped. It was constant chatter and motion.

The most loved of all the cousins were the one year old twins. When Sedona realized Anna had two babies she observed, 'You have two babies! We don't even have one!' She has been disappointed with her dolls and stuffed piggy ever since.

Asa had only spent 10 days of his life in America since he was born. This was the first time he returned. The experience was way more foreign to him than ever attending a Hindu ceremony or hearing the call to prayer. He also couldn't figure out where his Maria was. No one feeds me when I say I am hungry? What kind of place is this?

Sharing family love outside was divine. It was pure, fresh, oxygenated nectar for the soul.