My Epic Vacation Part 3: Denver/Welcome Home Hannah

My little sister Hannah finally got home from her mission 2 weeks before school started.  As per tradition, we all got together to celebrate her safe return.

We had to meet in Denver because Amber is (notice how I said "is" not was?  She's still pregnant, we still could have gone to Yellowstone as was the original plan before Amber had to go get pregnant with twins)pregnant and needed to be close to her hospital in Cheyenne.  We also needed to be close to an airport so the lucky 2 who flew didn't have to drive very far...not that anyone was worried about how far we had to drive or anything.

Not to worry, even without going to Yellowstone, we had plenty to do.  Dad rented a house for the long weekend and really, my mom outdid herself.  I, however, still am not so good at taking pictures so I can't fully document everything we did.  Not to worry, Evan took over 800 pictures.

Tuesday, we arrived last.  Said hi to everyone, ate dinner, Mom had a few games for us to play, then bedtime for kiddos and chit chat for the adults.  Hannah fell asleep and I almost got her back for McKay from a few years ago, but she woke up just before I drew her a lovely mustache.

Wednesday, Grandma Pattie woke up with the kids and before I had time to brush my teeth, they were all outside playing.

Slowly the adults woke up and got read for a candy factory tour.  The smell was a bit much for me--lots and lots of sugar.

We got home just in time for naps, but since my kids don't nap, they got to join the adults for some archery in the back yard.

 Then while the cousins were still napping, Noah set up the slack line my mom brought and Rex gave it a try.

Then we went to a Rockies Game.  And there was even a Grand Slam.  But I was staring off into space and missed it.  I'm really good at paying attention to sporting events.  That's not to say I didn't have fun, because I did--it's fun to be with a bunch of people yelling and cheering even if I only know half the rules and none of the players. Also it rained.

Thursday was family picture day.  That was my thing--the only thing I semi-coordinated.  I just forgot to pick a place to take pictures.  Oops.  But I like the homey feeling of just doing it in the front yard.  Too bad it's not the front yard of the house we actually grew up in/live in.  The three little girl cousins gave us a run for our money...or lack of money since this photo shoot was free a la Greg.

The rest of the day was holiday day.  As in we celebrated all the holidays that we normally miss with my parents.  While the kids slept, we made Christmas ornaments.  After naps, we had an Easter egg hunt, 

 dyed Easter eggs,

 carved pumpkins (soap as pumpkins are a little hard to find in August)

We also played Bingo (Christmas) and drank 7*UP/sherbet floats (St. Patrick's Day).  This was also the day, Henry took a 5 hour nap so that's why he's absent from the pictures.

Friday was birthday day.  We spent the morning at a reservoir.  It was freezing.  And it rained.  But the kids got in the water anyway.  And the rest of us tried out the slack line again.

That, by the way, is not me.  It's my brother's girlfriend, Racher...ok Rachel, but we all call her Racher. And she takes it.  Keeper.

During naps, we made t-shirts.  After naps the party started.  Mom had a pinata, the balloon game, the cotton ball game, pin the tail on the donkey, and cupcake decorating (basically a bunch of Robins' family birthday traditions).  We also played Thump-thump that night, and Rachel held her own, until she crossed Greg.  The made up during the second game, no worries.

Like I said, my mom super outdid herself.  I didn't even have time for my daily nap.  And my kids didn't watch TV or whine--also too busy for that.  I guess that's the key to good parenting--endless energy and creativity.  Ummm, maybe my kids should just go live with my mom.

Saturday we cleaned up, packed up, and started the 3 day drive back.

My Epic Vacation Part 2: Utah

First off, I have to say, I didn't really plan our trip after the drive.  I was just going to be happy to survive five days of driving.  Luckily, we made it, and it was as pleasant as a car ride could be.  Point is, I didn't make arrangements to see all the people I wanted to see or do all the things I wanted to do.  My family was great though and took time after work and between this and that for me, even with my failure to plan--I got to see almost everyone, which was great.  So thank you, family, for taking the time to see me.  I just love family.

We arrived in Utah in the late afternoon of Monday the 11 of August.  That night my grandparents were hosting a family night for their neighborhood with a magician.  Rex thought it was the greatest thing and kept laughing and exclaiming, "How'd he do that?"  Everyone thought it was pretty great how excited Rex was.  Then the head of BYU's music department played some pieces, which is when we headed downstairs so the rest of the neighborhood could listen.

I love my grandparent's basement.  And so do my kids.

 Tuesday: Greg and I went to the temple in the morning.  My cousin Selena watched the kids and we did a short initiatory session so we could get back before Henry needed to eat again, which we did.  After naps, we took the kids to the temple to get some cute pictures from the very spot where we took our wedding pictures so long ago.  We had a hard time getting anyone to look at the camera.

Rex took this--could be worse

 We finished the evening by hitting up a local shaved ice place.

 Wednesday was the Ogden Temple open house.  We started the day with some shenanigans outside--the kids climbed into the basement window wells and up the retainer wall in the back.  The neighbor called to tell my grandparents my kids were climbing up the wall, so Grandpa Sune climbed up and brought them down--oops.  Rex and Alice, like I was as a child, are obsessed with basements and just think they are the coolest thing.

 After the open house, we went to the Ogden Cemetery to get a picture of Alice next to Grandma Sparks' grave, for whom she was named.

Thursday was BYU day. We did the golf cart tour of campus, which I'd never done before.  It was fun but the poor tour guide couldn't get a word in edgewise between me and Greg as we told the story of our dating life on campus, as most of our courtship took place on campus.

Greg then left for a lunch appointment so the kids and I hit up the Cougar Eat, BYU bookstore, and Eyring Science Center.

Greg caught up with us and we walked back to the car, but first we walked through my favorite in the world...maybe just campus, but also possibly the whole world.  I don't know but I still love it.  Even just walking through the atrium felt great.  Just like home.  Because it was my home for several years.  Yes, I still love you HBLL (Harold B Lee Library--nerdy I know, but he and I spent a lot of long nights together).

Then we visited the new Bean Museum, where I used to take Rex during the long, cold Provo winters.  It is much bigger and now has a slide.  The kids had fun.

Finally, (I know, long day right?) we met up with Noah's girlfriend for ice cream at the creamery near where DT used to be.  As in the creamery Greg and I used to go when we were dating freshman year.  Oh, memory lane.

Friday: In the morning, the kids and Greg discovered Grandma's Super Nintendo.

After Henry's nap, we did the Salt Lake thing.  My kids are obsessed with the Salt Lake Temple so we went there first.

 Then we went through the places where General Conference has been held, in chronological order, as per Rex's request.  We went to the Assembly Hall first, but I guess forgot to take pictures.

Here's the Tabernacle.

 And roof of the Conference Center.

 We also visited the North Visitor's Center and the Beehive House, or is it Lion House--Brigham Young's house, you get the picture.

Then we met up with my Aunt Deb and Uncle Steve for dinner.  We also went to temple #5 for the summer, Bountiful but the kids were being silly so we didn't get a very good picture.

 We finished the day with a concert in Bountiful City Park--a Beatles cover band.   It was a lovely day.  Summer nights in Utah are, well, perfect.  Heaven will be summer in Utah.

Saturday: Provo day #2.  First, the farmer's market, where we ran into a few friends from the old ward.  We ended up chatting with some neighbors for a while.  I miss them.

Then to the Provo City Center Temple just 4 blocks from our old house.  Sigh.

We walked about downtown for a while more.  Then the boys decided to go to a rock shop while the girls and Henry went to Bridal Veil Falls.

Seriously though, how could you not just love those mountains and that perfect blue sky.  Sigh.  Saturday was a hard day for me.  I still feel like I'm missing so much in Provo.  The BYU day wasn't hard--I got a piece of paper telling me I was done at BYU and that it was time to move on, but I didn't get that when I left Provo.  Just...just longing and sadness.  When I die, when I die, I'll move back.

Alice was crazy on the falls and were determined to climb to the top.  I didn't let her get too far, since I was holding Henry in one hand and using the other to balance so I didn't have much left to keep her from killing herself.

I asked guy to take a picture of me--I love it because I look super fat.  Seriously, look at my face.  I really had to question myself and what I thought I looked like.  Then I noticed it was just shadows.  

 Sunday: I was exhausted.  Seriously to the point of dizziness.  Greg drove up to Boise for some business meetings after Sacrament, and I planned to sleep but!! Deb came down so of course we hung out with her for a while.  We went through old pictures and Sune even told some new stories I'd never heard before.  After I got the kids in bed and was about to pass out again, Marc dropped by so we chatted about his high risk behavior and he brushed off my concerns about his motorcycle and private airplane.

Monday: We went back to Provo.  Provo is like my first born child that I've lost.  OK more like my college boyfriend that I still haven't quite gotten over (I married my other college boyfriend).  First we went to the Orem Wal-Mart because I am stupid.  We survived--barely, and then tried to visit some friends, but that didn't work out so we went to the Provo Rec Center, which was glorious, minus I didn't bring a swim diaper, sunscreen or my sun glasses.  I got burnt but the kids had fun.

Then Alice fell asleep in the car on the way to temple #9, so we got this picture of her in front of the Provo Temple.

That night, even though it was a school night, Cameron and Scott and their families came over for a brief hello.  Then Grandpa and I spent a few hours cleaning and packing up our stuff to leave in the morning. Greg drove in from Boise just I was putting my head on the pillow around midnight.

Tuesday morning we left but got this cute picture of the boys with the Great Grandparents before we left.

Until next year, Utah, until next year.  My poor kids when they grow up--every summer my mom dragged us to Utah to relive her past because she's obsessed and can't get over Utah.