My trip to Utah

My mom, Mickayla, Lily, Zeke, and I went to Utah for a few days. My mom was so sweet. She accommodated all the things I wanted to do with the kids (and I had a list). I wanted to pack as much into the few days we had there as possible.

My Aunt Anita and Uncle Corey were such gracious hosts. They welcomed my curious little two year old, and shy little five year old. They are the go-with-the-flow type of people.

The fun

My cousins really wanted to go to the Salt Lake City Zoo. We made it just in time to see the bird show. (Zeke was asleep in the stroller, and they wouldn’t let me bring the stroller in to the show, so Mom sat out with him.) Lily loved seeing the birds soar over our heads. Especially the owl with his big eyes.

Lily and Zeke always love the statues in zoos. Sometimes I wonder why we even bother seeing the real animals, But they both were excited when they saw the giraffes!

We met up with Lisa. Lisa and I have been friends since we were three. She’s one of those people that it doesn’t matter how long its been since we last spoke, we pick up as if it were yesterday. She knows all of my nuances. It was great to be able to see her again, meet her new baby, and let the kids play while we chatted.

We also met up with Scott’s sister, Ashley, her husband, and baby. It was my first time meeting Persephone. Lily has oohed and awwed for weeks over how cute Persephone is, and how she loves her name. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture.

The historical

We took the kids to Temple Square. They had never been. They loved seeing the temple. They of course wanted to play in the fountain. What kid doesn’t?

When I took them over to the handcart statue, I planned on having a spiritual moment as I explained how several of their ancestors crossed the planes by handcart. Just as I knelt down by the statue to talk to them, someone began playing the Star Wars theme song on their bag pipes. The kids eyes lit up with recognition – and any spiritual moment I planned was lost. Drat!

 

We walked through the Assembly Hall, Tabernacle, and Conference Center. Lily loved seeing the waterfall from the inside of the building.

Lily’s favorite part was seeing the various pictures depicting the stories of Christ’s life.

On Sunday, Mom, Mickayla, and I attended Music and the Spoken Word. (My amazing aunt and uncle babysat the kids for me.) I loved seeing things behind the scenes. The music was beautiful. My favorite part was watching the organist and orchestra. (I know, I’m dorky.)

I also took the kids over to “This is the Place Monument.” I had never been there. Scott’s grandma had donated money for a tree to be planted there in honor of her grandfather, Isaac Wardle (Zeke’s namesake), who crossed the plains with the Martin Handcart Company. She was disappointed that none of her posterity had been to see the tree and plaque. I was bound and determined to take Lily and Zeke there and find it.

It was miserably hot. The kids were so miserable. My mom bribed them with suckers, which held them over. My aunt and uncle were the best search party ever. They scoured the park for the tree. When things looked bleak, I went into the visitor center and asked for guidance. The girl made a few phone calls and pointed us down a path. My aunt and uncle ran ahead and found it!

The family

The purpose of our trip was my mom’s family reunion. My aunt rented a bouncy house with slide. It was a huge hit!

I was the first life guard on duty.

It was so nice to catch up with my cousins. It’s been years since I’ve seen them. (I only wish more of them had come!)

Blake’s girlfriend, Kirstin, even joined us. She was such a good sport about going down the slide and also visiting with my eccentric uncle and cousin.

We also had the chance to go over to Kirstin’s house and meet her family. (I didn’t take any pictures . . . that would have been weird.) They were so nice, and so attentive to all of Zeke’s needs and wants.

When it was time to drive home, we left early in the morning. The kids did great! For the first few hours, this is how they were:

When they were awake, they snacked, looked around, and played the iPAD and my tablet.