While we were in Utah, the kids did some of the things that they love most at Grandma & Grandpa Checketts' farm...picking fresh peas to eat fresh from the garden, as well as lots of other fresh produce, riding the 4-wheeler with Grandpa (PJ even learned how to drive himself--which he loved), playing with Grandpa's dog, Rocky, who weighs about 110 lbs, but thinks he's a lap dog. He's a big, cuddly teddy bear, and the kids love him! They also got to help feed the cows, play in the barn, and get really dirty! :)
While we were in Utah, we went to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Provo that they have each year around the 4th of July (we went to it every year that we lived in that area.) It's so much fun to be out on the field, early in the morning, as they are filling up all the balloons, and watch them go up. Our kids have some favorites, and it's fun to see some new ones too. It starts at 6:30 a.m. & we forgot how cold it is in the mornings in Utah, even in the summer time. I was REALLY glad that we had jackets & a couple of blankets to stay warm. After we watched the balloons for a while, we went out to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe, and then headed back to Brigham City to spend more time with Neil's family. That night we had a "Pizza & Movie Night" at Neil's sister's house, with Neil's parents & 2 of Neil's siblings & their families (his other 2 siblings were both out of town). The cousins always have fun getting together. They jumped on the trampoline, ate pizza, had treats, & watched movies. It was a fun evening.
The next day we got up & headed over to Bear Lake. I love driving through Logan Canyon--it's so pretty. The sky was clear, the lake looked beautiful, and it was sunny (but not very warm). The kids didn't seem to care. We stopped at LaBeau's for some lunch and their "Famous Raspberry Shakes". Always yummy! At first it wasn't too cold (if you were in the sun), but as they day went on, the wind started up and it began to get cloudy and colder. We kept hoping it would warm back up, as the adults all sat there in jackets & towels wrapped around them to stay warm, but the kids continued to play in the sand & water, with chattering teeth, blue lips, & goose bumps all over, but it didn't warm up, so we ended up leaving around 3:00.
On Wednesday, Neil & I got up and went to the temple and out to lunch at Cafe Rio (we miss those--YUMMM!!) Then later in the afternoon, we headed to Willard Bay to play in the water & go out on Grandpa's boat. The kids had a blast, and it was MUCH warmer than the day before. They all took turns riding on the tube behind the boat & playing in the water, then they played on the beach for a while too, before heading back home.
On Thursday, we drove over to Logan to visit my family there. We played at Grandma & Grandpa Willie's house for a while, and then drove to Willow Park (a little park & zoo). We took a picnic lunch, walked around looking at all the animals, and let the kids play on the playground. The weather was perfect! Afterwards, we headed back to their place. Jonah played basketball with Grandpa, PJ & Tessa played Triominoes with Grandma, and we all ended up playing catch in the family room with a toy. The kids had a fun time. Then we stopped for dinner on the way back to Brigham City.
Friday morning we didn't have much planned, so I mentioned to Neil that maybe we could take the kids to the Dinosaur Museum in Ogden. Neil said that maybe we should just let the kids play for a while & we could decide what to do later. Well, a little while later, Tessa came running in the house, saying "MOM!! QUICK!! COME OUTSIDE!!" I didn't know what was going on. As soon as I walked out, my mother-in-law grabbed my arm and said, "We are kidnapping you!" I had to laugh. I said I'd need to get my purse. She said, "I already have it." I said, "Does Neil know about this?" She said, "Yes, of course!" I said, "Where are we going?" She said, "We are taking you birthday shopping and to lunch, and we're meeting Heidi, Hailey, & Peyton too." (They are my sister-in-law & 2 nieces). My other 2 sisters-in-law and Nieces were either out of town or busy with girls camp. Anyway, we had a great time. My mother-in-law had actually been planning this for about a month, and had told Tessa about it, so she was in on the surprise too. My mother-in-law & sister-in-law decided they needed to "teach me how to enjoy shopping." I called it an intervention. :) I've always said I hate to shop & hate spending money. But, I did have a really fun time (and spent a lot more than I had planned). And my mother-in-law bought me a cute skirt & shirt for my birthday. And my kids were all happy too, since I bought them all a few things too (but I'm making them save them for school). After we went shopping, we went out to lunch at Olive Garden, and then stopped at Deseret Book before heading home. It was a fun day, and so thoughtful.
While the girls were all out shopping & having "girl time," the boys (Daddy, Grandpa, PJ, Jonah, & Clay), all went to the bird refuge & museum, and then to "Smith & Edwards", otherwise known as "The Man Mall" too look at tents, guns, and all that "guy" stuff. My father-in-law bought a new beach canopy to try at Bear Lake (2 others have blown away already, so this is attempt #3). And I have to say...It is SOOOO funny to watch them put it up, watch it as it starts to colapse when it gets too windy, and watch them try to keep it from blowing THEM away with it, and trying to take it apart! GREAT LAUGHS!!! Hahahahaha!!!
Friday night, Neil's siblings came back over to the Checketts' house for a last family Barbeque before we left early Saturday morning. The cousins all had fun playing games & talking, while the adults all talked & laughed until it started to get dark & we were all getting eaten by mosquitos. Good times!
Saturday morning we got up bright & early (around 3 a.m.), to drive to South Dakota, to Mount Rushmore. It was a beautiful area, and Mt. Rushmore was cool to see. We got there around 1:00 p.m., and drove up to the monument. We walked to the look out point and walked the trail that goes up right below the faces. It was a fun day. We walked along the little town shops, got some souvenirs, had dinner, then headed back to the hotel. The kids were all worn out after a week of playing hard & staying up late & getting up early, so they all ended up crashing at about 8:30.
The next morning we slept in a little, then headed on our way back home. We drove the next 14 hours, with a few stops for gas, dinner, and potty breaks, and got home around 1 a.m. The kids were very happy to be home in their own beds again--and so were we! :)
We had a great time seeing family, relaxing, having fun, and seeing some fun things along the way. And in just a few more weeks, Neil & I get to have ANOTHER little vacation (part TWO), with just the two of us. We are going on a 15th Anniversary get-away. We are heading to Cancun, Mexico to stay at an all-inclusive resort for a week. FUN! FUN! FUN! (And I'm sure our kiddos will get spoiled and have a blast with Grandma & Grandpa Checketts while we are gone too!) :)
1 comment:
How crazy! We too were at the balloons and then to Bear Lake a few days later. Wish we could have seen you, looks like you had a great time!
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