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Eric took LaNae and Carissa (our sitters for EFY) to this Glacier. Talmage was lucky enough, bless Eric's heart, to tag along.

Fingerlake

Camping with the Speaks at Fingerlake.
Great friends. Canoeing. Hot Dogs & French Toast. Badminton. Four Square. Campfire and Smores. Scrabble on the iPhone. Tinfoil pot for a late night bottle. Shakes to Cross the Lake.

Here's to you Jill-B. Thanks for being such a fun Aunt.

Hyrum with his Namesake. We hope he can grow up to be as honorable as a man. “Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me” (D&C 124:15).

Park City

Park City was the perfect way for us to end our Utah Vacation.
It was so relaxing! We love our Bacon family and are so grateful that we could see everyone!


A Few Highlights: Cousins, cousins, cousins (we adore our Magelsen cousins and couldn't spend enough time with them), Temple Square, Grandpa Time (Warner came home saying "oopsie"), Meals Together, Core Strength, Eric's sunburn, Hunger Games, Celiacs???, Late Evenings Talking, Memorial Day Celebration with the Wright Family (the candy balloon launcher was a favorite, and Uncle Craig remember all of our names so impressive), LOTS of swimming, Eric playing tag with the kids,

and of course. . . the Alpine Slides and the Alpine Coaster.

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The kids LOVED swimming. Most days we had the pool entirely to ourselves.

The kids loved the activity zone. They made flip flops, spoon puppets, ate cookies and lemonade, played wii, colored, tetherball, and basketball.

One night we cooked smores togehter.

Utah-Days 25-31

This pictures sums up our week with the Bacons.

Sam found himself a new BEST Friend. They were inseparable.

Best Boys

I just love these two boys.

Utah-Day 21

Kennecott Copper Mine.
Bigger than expected.

Denise took all the ladies to get Birthday Pedicures (which we all desperately needed after Lake Powell).
Thanks a bunch sister.

I love this goofy picture of the four sisters and my adorable niece Megan.

While Grandma was at Young Womens, we sang Happy Birthday to her and ate her cake.

Utah-Day 20

We thought we had left all of Alaska behind, but woke up to a history breaking very wet 4"+ of snow this morning. I happily took on limb shaking duty. . . and while working could hear limbs snapping right and left in neighbors yards.

Eric and I took the boys to visit Grandpa at UVU. I love this picture of them all together (we had A'thert (a.k.a. Thatcher) with us too).

I remember walking down and loving the hall of flags when I was a little girl. We also saw the pendulum, at pizza, and visited the new Library.

Grandma had the great idea of going to the roller skating rink for Family Night. The cousins had a fun time skating/scootering with each other. Sam and Addie were particularly cute to watch holding hands during the snowball skates.

Utah-Days 12-17

Best Vacation Ever!

Utah-Day 12

Just the smell when I got out of the car in Wahweap made me giddy. This is the craziest, most unpredictable vacation you'll ever take. Yet, the best memory maker.

A friend once told me that she read an article which stated that the best activity to strenthen family relationships was camping (and i would interject Lake Powell on a houseboat). Inevitably there is a crisis. A family must endure and resolve. Given 2 weeks times that crisis then becomes a strength.

Utah--Day 9

Unusual place to take a nap.
Unusually ornery kids.


Sometimes unusual things happen on vacations.

It's not that I envision us holding hands and skipping everywhere on vacations . . . But I definitely didn't plan on second degree sunburns. A trip to Insta-Care. Ear infections still raging. Crusty eyes. Runny Noses. Hacking Coughs. Nighttime Bottles.

It was a bit unusual as we loaded only half of our family in the car for Lake Powell.

Yellow Balloons-Day 7

When I was little I grew up listening to this little red tape that included songs like "I'm a Mormon, yes I Am. . . ", "I got a dime in my pocket, I can feel when I walk it. . . ", "My mother told me I should never tell a lie, because a lie will bring you trouble sure as pie. . . " & "Hey everybody it's family night, we'd better take the phone off the hook.. . " I loved that tape and over the years have rediscovered it time and time again and listened and laughed. While in college my roommate Heather and I would shout out a hearty rendition.

A few weeks ago I was driving home from church. The kids were crammed in the minivan and there was teasing and taunting in the backseat. I pushed in the little red tape and we started listening to:
"When I grow up I want to be a mother
And have a family
One little, two little, three little babies of my own
Of all the jobs, for me I'll choose no other
We'll have a family
Four little, five little, six little babies in my home
And I will love them all day long
And give them cookies and milk and yellow balloons
And cuddle them when things go wrong
And read them stories and sing them pretty tunes
When I grow up if I can be a mother
How happy I will be
One little, two little, three little babies I can love
And you will see each sister and each brother
Who look a lot like me
Four little, five little, six little blessings from above."

We'll I was glancing at MY SIX blessing in the backseat fighting, while I racked my brain for the last time I made cookies, giggled that NOT ONE of my kids really looks like me, and doubted that the tunes I sing were all that pretty.

Sam shattered this thinking when he whined, "Mom, we NEVER get yellow balloons."

Later that evening I was talking with my friend (and old roommate) Heather. We made plans to get together and let our little BLESSINGS enjoy an afternoon of cookies and milk and yellow balloons.

Utah-Day 8

Best part of Utah? Family. Hands down it is being with family.

These moments are priceless . . . Hryum all snuggled up on the couch reading to his Grandma.

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