Our Utah trip this year was a success! We were able to spend a week and a half there as a family then Michael rode the train home for meetings/work while the kids and I stayed another week. My dad then drove us home, through Colorado for a quick stop, then he rode the train back to Utah. Whew - lots of traveling! We made the trip out in one straight shot and drove all night. We even brought sweet corn the girls had hand picked the day before!
1. Provo City Center Temple
We were so, so, so excited to see this temple complete! Michael and I were able to enjoy an session together to see the beauty within. It is amazingly beautiful and a truly special temple!
2. Cousins!
The kids had a blast playing with their cousins. Brenna is now old enough to be excited for our coming. She spent the night at my parents house about half of the nights we were there so we had plenty of cousins sleepovers. They played, dressed up, laughed, and made wonderful memories. Brenna made sure we all visited her favorite spot - Jungle Jims - to ride the little rides. Even Orson and Miss Lydia became fast friends. It was so cute to watch them interact and play.
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3. Ice Skating
No trip to Utah is complete without a skating session with Alicia. Hazel and Eliza did great and loved it, Brenna lasted about 2 minutes, Lenora got her skates on but never went on the ice, and Brooklyn refused to even put the skates on her feet haha. I guess skating is an acquired taste.
4. Friends
We were able to visit a few friends (though maybe not as many as we would have liked). Hazel had a playdate with her dear friend Afton. They picked right up where they left off! Aften still swears he's going to marry Hazel some day. They are too cute!
We were also able to introduce Orson to his namesake Tom Wilson and his wife Teddiann. They joined us for our session at the Provo City Center temple. We are so blessed to know so many amazing people!
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| Orson Thomas and Tom |
Aunts, uncles, cousins, great-aunts, great-grandmas, you name it, we were able to visit them. Gram Holly taught Hazel how to take selfies, Angel read the girls tons of books, TJ spent lots of time just hanging out with the girls, and we all ate our weight in watermelon and various get togethers.
Having fun with Gram and Grandpa gets a category of its own. We spent a good portion of our time just hanging out at their house doing everyday things. It made the trip less exhausting and let us get in such a wonderful visit. Gram read the kids tons of books and had all sorts of fun activities planned for us. She and my dad are such saints to open their home to all of our crazy for such a long time! Thank you mom and dad!
7. Family Pictures
We managed to get a family picture of everyone while we were there! It was something we threw together at the last minute, but I think they turned out fantastic (these are just pictures from our phone below. I'll post the real pictures once I get them). Two amazing parents, 3 kids, 3 kid-in-laws, and 7 going on 8 grandchildren!
8. Trains
Of course my dad found a new train park for us to enjoy. All of his kids and grandkids enjoying the train is his kind of heaven. He also has built a garden railroad in his back yard that we all really enjoyed watching. To top off the trains this visit, Michael rode the train home and my dad rode it back to Utah!
We may have fought like crazy growing up but I sure love these two now. It was so good to see them! I've missed them more than I realized.
One day TJ and Michael went shooting and enjoyed some good, manly, sibling fun. Here is the one picture they took...
10. Colorado and Ft. Collins Temple Open House
Our trip home took us through Colorado. We wanted to stop and visit my grandpa. It also worked out that we were able to take the kids to the open house for the Ft. Collins temple! It was incredible. Hazel was old enough to appreciate what she saw and it really touched her. She and Eliza especially loved seeing the bride's room. I hope they remember the peace and beauty of the temple as they continue to grow older.
We survived the drive home, though it was much more eventful than the drive out. We picked up Haley the puppy in Utah and she earned the name Haley Houdini on the trip home. Long story short, she snuck out of the car at one of our stops and we didn't realize she was gone until 45 minutes down the road. Thankfully someone picked her up and was coming back to hang a sign when we got there. I know Hazel's prayers of faith had a lot to do with finding her. I'm so thankful my dad helped drive us home. I would have never survived 4 states with 4 kids and 2 dogs on my own! After driving us all the way here, my amazing dad was able to go to the car races Saturday night and church Sunday morning before catching his train home. I loved the extra bit of time we were able to see him.
It was such a good trip! I even got my mountain fix in. Just look at those Colorado peaks! The air was as cool and crisp as it looks in the picture.
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