July 18, 2003

Caelan took her first airplane ride. We went down to Arizona to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma Dick. She did fairly well on the ride down, and she slept the entire way back to Salt Lake. She didn't like the descent (ear popping was not her favorite thing -at one point she screamed her head off for a second and then was completely calm and asleep the next -we figure her ears must have needed to pop right then). We had a fun time in Arizona. There were some record high temperatures while we were there, but Caelan seemed to like them. She would get a little cranky in the evenings, but I would take her out in the 115 degree heat and she would quiet right down. She gets really calm in the heat (crazy if you ask me). Dad tried to take her for a little swim in the pool, but I don't think she was ready for that. Even though the water is warm there, I don't think it was as warm as a bath, which she didn't like. We learned that Caelan does not like Mom to eat chocolate before she feeds her. I had a piece of chocolate cheesecake one night when we went out for dinner, and the next day Caelan had some bad tummy problems. I guess those are the sacrifices we make as mothers ¬I'll be staying away from chocolate for the next few months. Maybe the best part of the trip was visiting with Great Grandpa and Grandma Dick. Grandpa had to go to the hospital two days before we came, so we went to visit with him there a few times. Grandpa was so excited to see his little Great Granddaughter. He was in good spirits when we arrived Gust an hour or so before he had to go in for surgery). He got out of bed and sat down in a chair and held Caelan. It was very sweet. She was as happy as could be the whole time we were there (good medicine for anyone in the hospital). We got home on Wednesday of this week, and this morning we got a call telling us that Great Grandpa Dick died. We sure were glad to have been able to go down and spend some time with him and let him see Caelan before he passed on. We will be heading back next week for the funeral. Life is sure unpredictable sometimes -it's so good to treasure the times we have here on earth with our loved ones.