{Sunday} Las Vegas
It was our last day in Las Vegas and we attended our old ward.
There were so many new faces, yet each familiar face was like a burst of sunshine. There is no way it has been two years! I loved reconnecting with so many people and there was more than one time that my eyes brimmed with tears as I hugged old friends.
Have I mentioned that a part of my heart belongs in Vegas?
After church the kids and I dropped Rich off at the rental car place because he was staying in Vegas for two more days to work. Then the kids and I jumped onto the I-15 and headed straight north, listening to Anne of Green Gables on CD and we drove until we reached the home of Carter & Erin in Spanish Fork.
Our arrival truly coincided with bedtimes, but there was so much energy between their kids and mine that bedtime didn't happen until the kids had played for a good hour, eaten late night bowls of cereal and then talked another hour after lights being turned out. I didn't mind one bit because I LOVE Erin's kids like my own and I know she feels the same way about mine.
Erin and I talked our own little marathon - I don't remember the last time I have been up at 2:30 a.m. but let's just summarize that we had a lot to catch up on!
{Monday} Utah
Erin and I took our kids to Extreme Air Sports - a totally fun indoor facility with foam pits, trampolines, trapeze bars, rock wall and more. You can imagine that the kids were in heaven!
From the trampoline place we headed to the park for an impromptu picnic before my kids and I had to begin driving further north. Our kids tried stealing our car keys, they were hiding in each other's vans and doing just about anything so that they wouldn't have to separate. Honestly, I was kicking myself that I hadn't planned to stay longer. When your kids have that great of a relationship with that great of kids, it's hard even for mom's to say goodbye.
As we drove through Lehi we stopped to see one of my oldest (as in kindergarten!) friends. Kim graciously made time in her busy schedule to hit the park with us for an hour or so. It was really fun to catch up in person on all that she is involved in, and she is involved in a lot!
While we were there we met our second of three "famous" people that we met on this trip. The first was Chad Lewis that we met while at BYU. Then while at the park Carmen Rasmussen (from American Idol fame) was introduced to me because she was at the park and she and Kim have performed together and have developed a friendship. Small world!
After leaving Lehi, and then returning to Lehi to reclaim T's stuffed dog, we made it to my parents home in time for a late dinner and bedtime.
{Tuesday} Utah
Just as in Vegas, I had a list of people and places that I wanted to see while in Utah and I knew my time was precious but we took Tuesday as a veg-out day. I didn't want to go and do, and for the most part we didn't.
K got in some cookie baking with Diyah....
Diyah also took C on a special outing to pick out his new backpack for the upcoming school year. That has become a tradition that my kids really look forward to.
In the late afternoon we did head out to the library and a park/splashpad but that was the extent of our adventures. By 8 p.m. we were all in our pajamas and we were playing card games and watching movies and it felt good to just rest a bit. I wish I had a photo of all of the games of skipbo and uno that my kids played, which kind of defined much of our trip to my parents this summer. My dad retired in June and we really enjoyed having him home all day and getting to spend the extra time with him. He was a great sport when it came to all the requests for "play time" that my kids made.
Rich flew home to Portland from Vegas on Tuesday. He texted me from the airport to let me know that he had just seen John McCain at the airport. Our third famous person on the trip!
{Wednesday} Utah
I had penciled in spending part of Wednesday with Melanie and, in her generosity, our "get together" ended up going out on their family's boat. The kids enjoyed being tugged in the tube and K was able to get up on the kneeboard, but we spend much of our time just parked and letting the kids swim around the boat. Mel's little boy thought that it was a pretty fun game to sit on the back of the boat and push those attempting to get back into the boat back into the water. C was a great sport and played along.
We had a great time and really appreciate Brian and Melanie. Truth be told, Mel and I probably need a late night (sans kids) chat to catch up ourselves - the life of a mom these days means sometimes we go far too long between phone calls. Luckily we can pick it right up when the phone calls do come.
We had a great time and really appreciate Brian and Melanie. Truth be told, Mel and I probably need a late night (sans kids) chat to catch up ourselves - the life of a mom these days means sometimes we go far too long between phone calls. Luckily we can pick it right up when the phone calls do come.
{Thursday} Utah
We had planned to spend Thursday with my parents and my brothers families on the beach, partly because only one of my brothers had made it on the annual Moon Lake trip in June and partly because if you provide sand and water then the kids will give you hours of no interruption (wink).
Mike's mother-in-law took our plans up a notch by bringing her boat and generously driving all the kids (big kids included) around on the tube and on the double-banana all day long. The day flew by. Everyone was having so much fun and it was really fun to watch all the cousins interact and reconnect.
Favorite memory has to be uncle Mike taking the older kids (including J) out on the banana and being quite the trash talker...really Mike? I don't want to say that I cheered when Mike and K fell off, leaving C, J and Austyn still going strong, but it was kind of payback.
Becky - you are my superhero! Thanks for the memories.
After the day of sun and water, we all met up at my parents for a BBQ and more time together.
I loved the family time. I have amazing parents, super brothers and darling sister-in-laws. The day was definitely was one of the highlights of the trip.
{Friday} Utah
K and I met Ashley & Ellie for breakfast at Kneaders since our attempt at coordinating schedules was tight. An hour was hardly enough, but we were grateful for the hour that we had.
K and I met Ashley & Ellie for breakfast at Kneaders since our attempt at coordinating schedules was tight. An hour was hardly enough, but we were grateful for the hour that we had.
In the afternoon my sister-in-law brought her daughters over and my cousin, Trudy, joined us with her two daughters. We had lunch and the kids enjoyed some fun slip-and-slide/human bowling on grandma's crazy-huge slip and slide. It required grandpa to rig up two sprinklers to keep it going and he was such a great sport about it.
After I got two little ones into bed, and two older ones settled in with a movie with grandparents, I met my friend, Andrea, over ice cream and we played catch up. We stayed as late as Cold Stone would let us, and then sat on the curb outside of cold stone until it was no longer Friday. I think it was a much needed visit for both of us.
{Saturday} Utah
Our last day in Utah and I had the same dilemma as I had had in Vegas. Still people to see/places to go and simply out of time. Darn it!
My mom and I took the kids to Salt Lake and I used our OMSI pass to get into the Discovery Gateway museum. Sadly we were short on time. K and C were okay with our time crunch. J and T would have happily filled another couple of hours in the "kid's eye view" area.
As we walked back to the car I realized that mom and I could have filled another couple of hours in the shops surrounding the museum!
On our way home from Salt Lake we stopped by to visit my grandma. She always has a little basket of bite-sized candy bars to offer to visitors (and has since I was young) and you would have thought my kids were trick-or-treating. So funny!
Saturday evening my parents joined me and my kids, along with my brother and his family, at the open house for the new Brigham City Temple. It was the first day for the open house and if we hadn't been able to get tickets I would have driven home on Saturday - but with tickets in hand, we stayed the extra day and it was worth it! The temple was beautiful and my kids did a really good job of being reverent as we walked through it. I hope they will always remember that experience and the special feelings associated with it.
The next morning we packed up the car with kids, luggage and grandma and made the drive home to Portland in record time.
What a terrific three weeks we had playing tourist and guest.
Much thanks to EVERYONE who made time for us is so many ways.
We are truly blessed with amazing family and friends!
Much thanks to EVERYONE who made time for us is so many ways.
We are truly blessed with amazing family and friends!
