Closing Out Summer with Friends!

On our journeys through several states, we've been blessed with some incredible friends. This past month, we have been able to see several old friends, and it's been so much fun! 

First up, Peyton came to visit us from Kentucky! Peyton joined the church when he turned 18 and while we were living in Kentucky. (Remember how Orson looked up to him so much?) He has been wanting to see Salt Lake and check our some of the universities out here for a while, so he bought a plane ticket and came to stay for a few days. We packed a LOT in to those few days too! 

First up was a quick tour of downtown SLC and Temple's Square. Most everything on Temple Square was closed still, but it was still fun to look around and see the progress with the construction on the temple. 

That day we also took Peyton to Dessert Book which he thought was amazing and walked around City Creek Mall. 

The next day we hiked up Provo canyon, Peyton was interviewed by Saints Unscripted, we visited the BYU art museum, and had BYU ice cream! Friday Peyton went to UVU with Michael for a tour and to see the amazing Roots of Knowledge stained glass display. They spent that afternoon shooting up the canyon.

Finally, on Saturday the boys fished all morning. Orson was in heaven! Both he and Peyton love fishing, so he had a blast learning more. It was their lucky day too because Orson caught 3 good sized fish! 

      

We had such a great time with Peyton! Maybe he will decide he need to come back for school in a few years. We can hope right! 

Our next friend adventure was an incredible weekend reunion with many of our friends from Iowa!!! Five families, including ours, who all lived in Boone have since moved back to Utah and Idaho. So we set a weekend and got everyone back together. We have so many great memories with these families. All of us moved to Iowa without knowing anyone or having any family nearby, so we were so close. It was amazing to see everyone and watch the kids pick back up right where they left off. 

Our family, the Farrells, and the Wansguards stayed the whole weekend at the Farrells home. The Maughns and Thorpes joined us on Sunday. At one point, we had 10 adults and 25 kids! Some of the highlights included a giant slip-and-slide, 9 square, a production of Cinderella directed by the older girls, chatting and catching up, Lenora falling in the creek, a reenactment of Samuel the Lamanite for church on Sunday, picking crabapples, cooking over a fire for old times sake, and tractor rides. 

Of course, any trip that involves seeing the Farrells means my kids are in heaven the whole time. 

Lastly, this past weekend we joined our good friend Judy Saunders up at her cabin to help take care of a downed tree and tear down an old shed. It was good, old-fashioned work and fun. We came home tired, filthy, and so happy. 

Sadly, just like that summer is over. I feel so thankful that despite stupid Coronavirus we were able to pack in so many adventures and memories in to our summer.