Wednesday, July 24
Grandma has had lots of fun with Ben, and Ben has had lots of fun with Grandma. And the girls have had fun with water!
We got cleaned up from the water play and made our way up to Bountiful to Danielle and Chris's home. They hosted us, and it was so fun and so lovely! Danielle made a really yummy taco bar, the kids played, the adults talked, and Danielle and Chris roped some teenagers - which was hilarious. We had such a great time.
And the fun didn't stop there. It's Pioneer Day and so the drive home was filled with fireworks. Just when we were almost at Suzanne's, Fiona spotted the temple, and then we drove over there. The Oquirrh Mountain Temple is on a hill, and so there were tons of people parked all around the temple watching the fireworks. It was pretty awesome. I asked the girls if they'd ever seen the Toronto Temple at night, to which they said no. We need to take them to see the temple all lit up at night. Temples at night are so breathtaking. I'm so grateful that we're able to come out to Utah and spend time with family. So very grateful!
Thursday, July 25
We were going to go to This is The Place Heritage Park today, but we didn't. Michelle, Jon, Marcus, Joey and Thomas went on a boat, they went wake boarding and water skiing. Michelle wanted to go to This is the Place, so we thought we'd go tomorrow instead. I reached out to the cousins, and Mary, Hannah and Emma had planned a trip to the Aquarium. After a quiet-ish morning, enjoying some outside time with Ben...
We got to the Aquarium just before noon. We really had a fun time. It's a great Aquarium. It was fun visiting with Mary and Hannah and Emma and their kids.
After finally getting out of the gift shop - it seemed like the torture would never end... I took Seth, Lovey, Anna and my three to Chick-fil-a on the way home, we had a bite and Lovey modeled her awesome narwhal socks. (And I couldn't help but take a pic of this license plate in the parking lot of the aquarium.)
Once we got home I put the kids to work. We took the pics for the book. I love it when the kids get into it. Ben was a somewhat reluctant super hero, but Captain Cuteness came through when we needed him! I'm so excited to finish and publish this next book!
I took pics of the girls Aquarium treasures. I still can't believe that Alice picked out the narwhal. It was on sale, fit the budget I told the girls. She waffled back and forth, and I thought it's enormous... not exactly sure how we'll get it home, but where there's a will?!
Friday, July 26
Today was fun because we were all doing the same thing, but being in such a big group is tricky! We left later than we'd originally planned partly because it was getting later and we made sandwiches to eat on the way up to This is the Place Heritage Park, but we got there. Also, we might have had to stop at SodaLicious on the way... So there are lots of "soda" places here. Drive through soft drinks. There are mixed drinks - soft drinks, it's kind of bizarre but fits the culture of non-drinkers - not that everyone here is LDS, not by a long shot, but it still is the pervasive culture. I had a root beer with toasted marshmallow - called a "Boy Scout". It was so good!
The place is really big, with lots of buildings. There's a train you can take around the place, and we thought it made sense to have an overview and get our bearings. We took it all the way around. We stopped at the ship which was across from the Native American village replica. There was a fun little man-made stream where the kids could pan for gold, and pan for gold they did, for ages!
We finally told the girls it was time to move on, and we made our way through a pioneer monument area. There was a stream - man-made, that started up the hill where we were panning for gold, and stretched quite a ways down the hill. There were pioneer statues with recordings to go with each statue telling brief stories about some of experiences the pioneers had on their cross country trek.
We started at Mary Fielding Smith's home and statue and continued all the way to the newest monument to the children that died crossing the plains. Over 650 children died crossing the plains. Their names are etched into huge boulders. It was very sacred, and very moving.
The original monument was a cross which was replaced by an obelisk. And then I think the heritage park was built up around it. Pioneer homes were moved here from all over the valley.
Then we walked over to the ice cream parlour and had ice cream. It was heavenly. I had a dole whip. I'd heard someone talking about a dole whip somewhere that we had been (maybe at the museum of curiosity?), anyway, it was so so good.
We made it to the pony rides just before they closed for the day. They did pony rides by height not weight which we all thought was really odd, and Lovey who was just above the line was not allowed to have a ride. And her cousins might have been a little bit obnoxious about that... because they think Lovey is a little too excited about her height sometimes lol!
I got to escort Ben on his first pony ride which I loved. Suzanne thought he might change his mind and chicken out, but he didn't. He loved it!
Then it was home and hanging out and saying goodbye. Jon, Michelle and the kids are off tomorrow morning to South Dakota with some friends. We took the rest of the pics for the book and that was that. It was so great to visit with Jon and Michelle and their kids. I'm so happy that they were able to come and spend time with all of us!
Saturday, July 27
We were due for a quiet day, and sadly it coincided with Suzanne feeling awful - sore throat, runny nose. I feel like it's been too much for poor Suzanne. Getting Isaac ready, and sending him off, that was huge.
The kids played, and started to get a little in each others faces today. Ten days might be the perfect length of time?! Ben and I took a few more book pics - so stinking cute! Oh and Auntie Michelle ordered curly hair stuff and we tried it out on Alice. I'm not sure if I put too much in her hair, but it curled up and looked pretty dang cute!
And just when everyone was completely done, we went to Tim and Angie's! Suzanne stayed home to rest, but I took Mom, my girls, and Anna and we had a blast. We ate pizza, chatted and had a dance party. Tim and Angie are great hosts, and we had a really fun evening.
Sunday, July 28
Poor Suzanney, I thought/hoped that she would feel better today, but she felt worse. Thankfully she was able to spend most of the day in bed. I wish she was feeling better.
We went to church - walking through the gate next to the house. I went to primary with Fiona. One of the presidency members was her teacher last year and remembered her name - I was so impressed! Everyone was very kind and loving, and we had a good time at church, even if Fiona was part squirrel!
After church we came home and had lunch. Suzanne showed me a video of an author making a speech at an Evangelical Conference in the United States - Ann Voskamp. What a beautiful human being. And then Mom, Kate, Fiona and I drove down to Provo to Ellen Buchert's home.
I loved spending time with them tonight. With Rob, Georgia, Moxie, Jeanne (she and Kate made croutons and it was adorable), Johanna and her Scout, Anna, Martin and his Eden and his Anna. It was good for my soul. I spent so much time with them growing up. So much important time.
Heidi wasn't there, and I missed her (she wasn't able to come from California). I cherished the times I spent in her home growing up. I loved spending time with her and her family. Her Mom and Dad had such a special place in my heart. I always called them Mom and Dad - my second parents. Heidi's Dad passed away last year in March (I think). Heidi's Mom Ellen, she's one of those people that loves openly and beautifully, no judgement, just arms wide open for everyone. She's one of those people who makes you feel good about yourself, like you're important - your ideas, your opinions, you. I'm so glad that this family is in my life, and that through social media there is still a connection.
When we got home Ben and Matthew were just walking up to the house. Ben came running, it was so cute. And I learned that I can take fun portrait shots with my phone. I wish I would have known about this sooner - but at least I know now! The background is slightly blurred, making the subject in the foreground the focus. You can do this with a lens where you can adjust the aperture and f stop, and I guess you can do it on your phone too!
Monday, July 29
Treehouse day! Ten years ago when we stayed in Eden we went to the Treehouse Children's Museum in Ogden. It was one of the things on my list. I wanted to go so very much, and we did. Suzanne still wasn't feeling 100% but she was feeling well enough. Mom said she didn't want to come, and neither of the teenagers wanted to come, so we fit in one minivan which was fun. Just before we turned the corner to get to the museum we pulled up alongside Danielle and her boys - so fun! We had planned to meet them and it was just extra awesome that we got there at the same time.
The museum was just as fun as I hoped it would be. I loved it, the girls loved it, Ben and the Bates' boys loved it. We all had a great time.
I really wanted to go last year but there just wasn't time. I'm so glad we were able to go back this year. It was so much fun! Ten years ago I snapped this pic of baby Kate at the desk in the Oval Office, and then a recreation today!
On the way home from Treehouse we stopped in at Emily's. She is one of my YW from many moons ago. Last year we had a fun lunch at Jessie's house in Spanish Fork, but it didn't work out for all of us to get together this summer, but I'm glad we were able to see Emily briefly. Emily is 38 weeks pregnant with her fourth. Her oldest is five. She inspires me, because even with the busy-ness of being a young mom she makes time to paint and continue her art - which is amazing! I mean her art is amazing. I love it! We're actually standing in front of two of her pieces in her basement.
Ken sent me this pic today. I'm so so so excited!! I think the fireplace looks beautiful!
Tuesday, July 30
I can't believe we leave tomorrow! Two weeks has flown by. Today is, pack, do laundry, visit with some family and finally, I took the girls to Airborne!
My cousin Sally and her kids came over this morning. It was so great to visit with Sally. I love her so much. It was a great visit. The only good thing about Suzanne being in Utah is that I will now see family that I wouldn't otherwise see.
Mom and her brother John are funny! Seriously, brother sister relationships are so silly even when you're 73 and 72.
Ben and baseball, is so awesome. Not sure if I've included this anywhere else, but Ben will pretend to hit the ball (when he isn't holding a bat, or when he is) and then he will run the bases, and he usually slides. This kid has baseball in his blood!
I left the visit with John and Ellie and I took the girls to Airborne. The boys had been last week, and Anna was dying to go. Anna and Alice could have jumped for hours. Kate and Fiona were done in an hour. They all had fun though. It was a cool place - so many different jumping areas for all different ages and abilities, and mini-golf.
After the jumping it was dinner. Kate had subway. Mom, Thomas and Fiona had Wendy's, and Matthew, Anna, Alice, Suzanne and I went to the "Angry Korean" for dinner. The food was so good. It was supposed to be a sister date but it wasn't. It was still fun, so that's something!
Ben! This was my goodbye Ben pic from this morning. Oh I had so much fun with him this trip. He is so cute and so fun. We might have even made a little book together... surprise! I hope he loves his surprise book!
Wednesday, July 31
And just like that, the trip is done. Our flight was at 9:55 so we left early. Matthew works near the airport so he left twenty minutes after me and I met everyone at the curb. I was able to drop off the rental car and we didn't have to manoeuvre the car seat and baggage through the rental car parking lot.
The flight home, the girls weren't "been there done that", but they handled it like seasoned pros. They knew what to expect and they did great. The one thing that amused me/surprised me was Fiona and the window seat. There was no awe, no wonder. She didn't like looking out the window because it was too bright and she couldn't see the movie and she didn't like the window open because it was scary. I would open the window every once in a while to take a pic, but she would always close it quickly!
We all had an amazing trip. We were so excited to see our Ken. We were happy to be home and so thankful for such an amazing time away. Thank you Suzanne and Matthew for hosting us for two weeks. Thank you Suzanne for sharing such a crazy time with us. Thank you to Grandma for paying for part of the airfare and rental car. I'm so happy that Jon and Michelle were there too. It was really perfect! See you next time Utah!
