Utah: Temple Square

Temple square is my most favorite place on earth.  I just love being here - especially with my family.  We could spend  hours here - and we usually do.  We took a vote and decided we wanted to take a full tour of  the conference center.  We had never done a full tour before.  It was kind of sad because we got a really lame tour guide who rushed through everything and didn't stop at most things and was pretty impatient with the kids.  My kids love tours and information and have tons of questions and she just said, "I don't know, its not in my script" - we would pass other tour guides giving cute stories and information.  Hopefully we can do another tour another time - but we will have a baby with us - so it just wont be the same.  

2018

2013

Utah: Kittens

After Great's we stopped at my aunt Leslie's to visit and see her new kittens (it was a busy first day - actually they were all busy).  The kittens were adorable and everyone loved playing with them.

Brock is so gentle with animals.  While the other three are holding and picking them up.  Brock just sits their - gently and quietly.  Eventually they all climb into his lap and he just softly pets them.  He gets his gentleness from his dad.  You can easily dismiss Brock's love and gentleness for apathy or disinterest - but if you watch him you will just see that he is slow and gentle.  I can't wait for the baby to come because I think he will be the same way.  While the other three will be all over that baby and Brock will stand in the back and not say anything - I know I will have to remember that he likes to show love and interest in quiet moments.  I will need to help provide those.

Utah: Great's

On the way home from the park we stopped at my Grandma and Grandpas house for some ice cream and a visit.  When we got there we found 3 HUGE bucks in their yard.  (They do not live in the mountains).  They would not run away and the kids even got out of the car and got really close before they finally did run off.  It was pretty cool.

The girls played dress up in the basement, the boys played in the orchard and some sports outside, Noah played pin ball and we all had sherbet ice cream.

I just love anytime my kids get to spend here.  I also walked around with my grandpa as he showed me his garden.  This was a tender moment for me and one I will always remember.  I look up to my grandpa so much.  He is such a doer.  He is always busy and always working hard.  He has a beautiful garden - both flower and vegetable.  Including a lot of fruit tress and bushes.  Every thign was so beautiful and well kept.  I loved walking around with him as he showed me his corn and potatoes - his pear and peach trees - and especially the raspberry bushes.  I ate some right off the bushes and I was immediately 3 again.  Anytime I eat a raspberry I am transported back to my grandpa's gardens - laying in the grass eating raspberries off the bush and watching the clouds - every. single. time.  Which is weird becasue my own family had raspberry bushes in my childhood and I did the same thing there - but for some reason the taste of raspberries takes me to my grandparents farm.

Utah: Park with Brooke and kids

On our first day in Utah we met Brooke and the kids at a great new park in Bountiful.  They had a lot of great stuff for all ages.

Brock literally spent about an hour pumping this water for all the little kids to play in.  I am NOT exaggerating. 

They also have a river you can play in.

The kids built a dam.

Utah: Hanging out at Grandma's

As mentioned in a previous post we had to cancel our Utah trip.  Then... the clouds parted and we discovered that on the week before Labor day the kids didn't have school on Tuesday and Thursday (assessments), there was no soccer games or practices, and Jason didn't have school.  So we pulled the kids out of school For Wednesday and Friday and we went to Utah for 6 days!  It was great!  I am so glad we got to go.  It was kind of a rough trip because my parents are remodeling their kitchen - so their was no kitchen, appliances, or sink.  My mom made it work though and we had a great time.

I love that the kids got to spend time with their cousins and we got to do some of our favorite things.  It was also so fun having Jason with us (he usually doesn't come on our summer trip) and it felt like a real family vacation.

Madison and Mikey.

We spent a lot of time jumping on the tramp and playing outside.

We did smores one night and the kids tried to sleep out on the tramp but literally only lasted 5 minutes.

The kids slept in the basement.  

my garden

Here are my pictures of my garden this summer.  It wasn't as pretty as last year.  I think part of it was the heat - and also most of these are on their second year and I have found that things don't often bloom on their second year.

My hydrangeas are my pride and joy.  I love them and I had high hopes for them.  At the beginning of the summer one bush bloomed BEAUTIFULLY!  I never took a great picture but I got THREE different color blooms on one bush!  I was so happy and couldn't wait for the other 3 bushes to bloom.  They never did!  One almost died.  My one bush made me very happy - I hope next summer I can get all 4 to bloom

My woolly thyme was beautiful this year and bloomed with a lot of purple flowers.  I took pictures a little too late in the season.