Arches in May: Sand Dune Arch

Our next stop in Arches was Sand Dune Arch, which also happened to be the perfect place to introduce Sally to sand and to take pictures. Sally was in heaven (and so was I)!

I give you Sand Dune Arch... of course Jim had to climb to the top!

NYC in June

Johnny had to travel to NYC for work in June, and I tagged along. It's been almost three years since we moved away, and it was so weird to go back. We left Sally with my sister Melyssa, and I think that's what made it even weirder. When we lived in NYC, Sally wasn't in the picture, and so when we returned without her with us, it felt like the last three years had never happened. I felt like Johnny and I were just living in Manhattan again and we'd never had Sally. It was so strange! 

It was really fun to visit some of our old haunts and to walk the city together in the evenings like old times. It was a good kind of closure for us, too, realizing we would never live there again now that we have Sally. I adored taking pictures while I was there. It's such a fun city for picture-taking. I really loved visiting, and since Johnny has to travel there from time to time, I hope to be able to visit again soon. 

While Johnny worked, I wandered about, usually ending up in Central Park. We also enjoyed some of our favorite cheap eats from when we lived there. And, most importantly, we got to celebrate Johnny's birthday the last day we were there! We met a few old friends on the Great Lawn and enjoyed some Sprinkles cupcakes and caught up. It was a fun getaway with my boy, but we were glad to get back home and back to Sal, who I missed so very, very much. If I go back again anytime soon, I'm definitely bringing Sal with me!!

And in no particular order, pictures from the trip:

 Our hotel was in Chinatown, so each morning I stepped out to this view.

 Visiting my boy at his office :)

Getting pics of Sal while we were gone were the best things ever.

Subway selfie

another picture of my girl while we were away!

I had to jog to the reservoir for old time's sake

 Simply the best halal food there is

Arches in May: Delicate Arch

Back in May, we went to Arches for a second time, and this trip was much more successful. We stayed two nights with some of Johnny's coworkers, and Sally was much better behaved than our first, awful trip to Arches. She did sleep in our bed at the hotel, which always seems to happen, but aside from that, she loved all the extra attention she got from everyone on the trip.

Our first hike was Delicate Arch, which was a total bust with Sally on our first trip to Arches. It was a thousand times more fun this time around, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

 Don't ask me why the water bottle is under my arm like that... I'm the queen of awkward poses.

  

 It was really nice having someone else to take pictures of the three of us! We are all in a picture together!!

 Because of Sally, a water bottle dropped down into the bowl of the arch. And Jim went and retrieved it! Can you spot him?

Sally was grumpy, and so Kimber was kind enough to give her one of her Lara bars. Sally liked it a little too much :).

On the way back, she slept! Thank goodness for naps.