We arrived in Utah on Sunday night (after leaving after Sacrament Meeting on Sunday so I could play the piano for the choir). We got in to Utah about 11:00 that night. We made great time and the weather was great!
Monday, we took the Front Runner into Salt Lake and then rode TRAX to the Gallivan Center to go Ice Skating. It's an outdoor rink and it was very cold to our California bodies Here is Kaisen, Parker and Kylee.
Calissa
The boys
The girls. It always takes me about 20 minutes or so until I'm comfortable again on the ice.
After ice skating we went over to Starbucks for some hot chocolate. It was a little bitter ... we decided we liked Stephen's hot chocolate better (but at least it warmed us up)!
Then we took TRAX to Temple Square. We had an interesting time finding a train that was empty enough for us to get on. There were lots and lots of people riding TRAX that night!
Beautiful (and cold ... did I mention cold) Temple Square.
Salt Lake Temple
Everyone looking up at the beautiful temple (except Calissa :)
The Nativity
Tuesday, a storm was supposed to hit, so we stayed home and the kids played in the snow in the backyard. It ended up snowing only about 1 inch at Trav's parents house, but the kids had a great time sledding down their hill and playing in the snow.
Conner going down the hill.
Calissa getting ready to go.
Conner and Jarom had to be dragged in about an hour after dark. They were very intent on building something on their backyard stairs. (I really didn't want to know what it was since I think it involved sledding down the stairs).
Parker, Kylee and Eisley were just hanging out on the sleds in the backyard talking while Conner and Jarom were busy working.
Wednesday, we got up early and went tubing at Jeremy Ranch near Park City. We went last year and had a blast and decided to go again this year. We had a great time despite the 15 degree weather. It was beautiful for the first hour and then the clouds, wind and snow came and it was pretty miserably cold. We all did fine, except Calissa who complained the last 30 minutes.
Calissa and Trav going up the tube lift.
Conner riding up the lift.
The train of most of us waiting to go down. We got some serious air going over the hills! We had to close our eyes since there was so much snow pelting us, but I think it made it more fun since we didn't know when we'd fly over the hills!
The top of the small lift ... waiting to go to the top. (Jarom, Conner, Parker & Kylee) Calissa was old enough this year to go to the big lift. We told her we'd go to the big hill first and then go to the smaller one after. We never made it to the smaller hill since the big hill was so much fun!
Calissa and me
The group (minus Rob and Logan who were drinking hot chocolate in the car). We had a blast and need to do this every year!!
Wednesday after tubing we went to see my Grandparents in Layton for a few hours and then went to see my brother, Kevin's family as well. We went out to Roosters for dinner and then Calissa stayed the night with Abby.
Abby and Calissa
Conner, Sam and Parker (Sam didn't want to get his picture taken, can you tell?)
We picked them up on Thursday morning (Christmas Eve) and drove to Logan to visit my other Grandma. We only stayed for about 40 minutes with her and then went to lunch and headed back to Trav's parents house for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a yummy dinner and then played games with everyone. The kids went to bed (without complaint) at about 10, or so. They were pretty tired after their late night!
Christmas morning, we had to wake up Parker and Calissa at 9:00. Conner was up and ready to go and we told him we'd wake everyone up at 9:00 if they didn't wake up before then. After we were all awake we led the kids upstairs and then read the Christmas story in Luke and had a family prayer. Then, we went downstairs to see if Santa had come.
HE DID! Parker and Conner got a laptop and Calissa got a Baby Alive doll. They were all very excited!
Hooray~
Seeing if the Internet worked at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Getting ready to open up presents.
Happy boys with their new laptop! (Conner said there really must be a Santa since mom and dad would never buy one for them).
Calissa feeding her doll. You should have seen the expression on her face as she came upstairs to tell us that she had to change a poopy diaper! Priceless!
Christmas night everyone came over for dinner and to open presents from Melanee and Robert and to do our gift exchange.
The kids (well, all of us) got Super Smash Brothers Brawl from Azure and Rob. Thanks guys!!
Sunday, we went to chuch and then had everyone (all 23 of us) over for one final dinner together. We had a great time, but it was pretty nice sleeping in our own beds again last night!
Monday morning we got up and left at 6:00 in the morning to drive home. We had a little snow in Utah that looked like diamonds falling as the sun was coming up and some more over Donner Pass, but managed to make it home in 11 hours. Calissa fell asleep the last two hours of the trip with her DS in her hands. Eventually she let go of it and it fell on the floor! With late nights every night and full days, our kids (and us) need some time to recover when we come home. We wouldn't trade our time with our family there for anything though!
Monday, we took the Front Runner into Salt Lake and then rode TRAX to the Gallivan Center to go Ice Skating. It's an outdoor rink and it was very cold to our California bodies Here is Kaisen, Parker and Kylee.
Calissa
The boys
The girls. It always takes me about 20 minutes or so until I'm comfortable again on the ice.
After ice skating we went over to Starbucks for some hot chocolate. It was a little bitter ... we decided we liked Stephen's hot chocolate better (but at least it warmed us up)!
Then we took TRAX to Temple Square. We had an interesting time finding a train that was empty enough for us to get on. There were lots and lots of people riding TRAX that night!
Beautiful (and cold ... did I mention cold) Temple Square.
Salt Lake Temple
Everyone looking up at the beautiful temple (except Calissa :)
The Nativity
Tuesday, a storm was supposed to hit, so we stayed home and the kids played in the snow in the backyard. It ended up snowing only about 1 inch at Trav's parents house, but the kids had a great time sledding down their hill and playing in the snow.
Conner going down the hill.
Calissa getting ready to go.
Conner and Jarom had to be dragged in about an hour after dark. They were very intent on building something on their backyard stairs. (I really didn't want to know what it was since I think it involved sledding down the stairs).
Parker, Kylee and Eisley were just hanging out on the sleds in the backyard talking while Conner and Jarom were busy working.
Wednesday, we got up early and went tubing at Jeremy Ranch near Park City. We went last year and had a blast and decided to go again this year. We had a great time despite the 15 degree weather. It was beautiful for the first hour and then the clouds, wind and snow came and it was pretty miserably cold. We all did fine, except Calissa who complained the last 30 minutes.
Calissa and Trav going up the tube lift.
Conner riding up the lift.
The train of most of us waiting to go down. We got some serious air going over the hills! We had to close our eyes since there was so much snow pelting us, but I think it made it more fun since we didn't know when we'd fly over the hills!
The top of the small lift ... waiting to go to the top. (Jarom, Conner, Parker & Kylee) Calissa was old enough this year to go to the big lift. We told her we'd go to the big hill first and then go to the smaller one after. We never made it to the smaller hill since the big hill was so much fun!
Calissa and me
The group (minus Rob and Logan who were drinking hot chocolate in the car). We had a blast and need to do this every year!!
Wednesday after tubing we went to see my Grandparents in Layton for a few hours and then went to see my brother, Kevin's family as well. We went out to Roosters for dinner and then Calissa stayed the night with Abby.
Abby and Calissa
Conner, Sam and Parker (Sam didn't want to get his picture taken, can you tell?)After dinner we dropped off Parker and Conner at Jarom and Eisley's house and they spent the night with them and Kylee. They stayed up until 4 AM! Crazy kids!!! (Calissa went to bed about 11 PM). They were pretty tired on Christmas Eve Day!
We picked them up on Thursday morning (Christmas Eve) and drove to Logan to visit my other Grandma. We only stayed for about 40 minutes with her and then went to lunch and headed back to Trav's parents house for Christmas Eve dinner. We had a yummy dinner and then played games with everyone. The kids went to bed (without complaint) at about 10, or so. They were pretty tired after their late night!
Christmas morning, we had to wake up Parker and Calissa at 9:00. Conner was up and ready to go and we told him we'd wake everyone up at 9:00 if they didn't wake up before then. After we were all awake we led the kids upstairs and then read the Christmas story in Luke and had a family prayer. Then, we went downstairs to see if Santa had come.
HE DID! Parker and Conner got a laptop and Calissa got a Baby Alive doll. They were all very excited!
Hooray~
Seeing if the Internet worked at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Getting ready to open up presents.
Happy boys with their new laptop! (Conner said there really must be a Santa since mom and dad would never buy one for them).
Calissa feeding her doll. You should have seen the expression on her face as she came upstairs to tell us that she had to change a poopy diaper! Priceless!
Christmas night everyone came over for dinner and to open presents from Melanee and Robert and to do our gift exchange.
The kids (well, all of us) got Super Smash Brothers Brawl from Azure and Rob. Thanks guys!!Saturday, we did a little after Christmas shopping (Trav got to go pick out a new pair of cleats, and we had to get our Stephen's hot chocolate and check out the after Christmas sale at Deseret Book ...) We also went to see The Princess and the Frog. Unfortunately, half of our group didn't get up to the ticket counter before they sold out, so we ended up going to go see Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Squeaquel instead. Calissa managed to cry enough that she switched tickets with Kylee and got to go see it instead. Also, we all got to sit in the front row of the movie theaters. Never sat there before, but after the first 15 minutes or so, it wasn't so bad. I'd much rather sit towards the middle though! Saturday night we went to Nielsens for conrete's. Yummy! We always have to go at least once during our trips to Utah.
Sunday, we went to chuch and then had everyone (all 23 of us) over for one final dinner together. We had a great time, but it was pretty nice sleeping in our own beds again last night!
Monday morning we got up and left at 6:00 in the morning to drive home. We had a little snow in Utah that looked like diamonds falling as the sun was coming up and some more over Donner Pass, but managed to make it home in 11 hours. Calissa fell asleep the last two hours of the trip with her DS in her hands. Eventually she let go of it and it fell on the floor! With late nights every night and full days, our kids (and us) need some time to recover when we come home. We wouldn't trade our time with our family there for anything though!
