I love visiting Salt Lake. I usually make it at least once a year for a little vacation with the boys. I know next year will be much more challenging with a baby so even though I am 8 months pregnant and starting to really feel 8 months pregnant and JUST drove back from Salt Lake with my mom 2 days before, I went anyway. It was my first time driving from LV to SLC with the kids alone . . . it turned out great. We made a pit-stop in St. George to play with Kiley and her kiddos for a few hours before we made the rest of the trek to Salt Lake!
Our good friends, Ryan & Leslie, always open up their home to us. We take over their basement and they are wonderful hosts. We pulled up just in time on Tuesday night to join them for a Marlin Court street party complete with dinner, water balloon launching, smores & fireworks. They sure know how to party. Both Nate & Ryan loved playing with all of the neighborhood kiddos and especially loved the water balloons. Nate even volunteered for quite a while to stand at the front of the line and tie all of the kids water balloons!
Griffeth & Andrus kids 2013. They spend lots of time playing together at the Andrus house – inside and out. This year, the main focus was bug catching! Tyler got a bug vacuum and Roly Poly playground for his birthday so they sucked up bugs a lot. They even vacuumed up bees. I do have to say, they have a love hate relationship by the time we head back to Vegas! Although one thing is for sure, that little Brooks is a favorite kid of all-time for my boys! Ryan was always aware of “Brooksy” – he loved him! He’s a darling little boy.
We give the Andrus family a few breaks from us as we go visit family in Salt Lake. Our first outing was with my cousin Shannon and her kiddos. We went to the Children’s Gardens at Thanksgiving Point where the kids had a great time. They loved exploring the different areas. Ella found a few girls to run around with and of course, all 3 boys did their best to bug them to death. Nate & Zach have very similar personalities so they just have a crazy ol’ time together. Their little guy, Max is one of the happiest little boys I’ve ever met.
We jammed our day full with Shannon . . . next stop was McDonalds for a mid-afternoon lunch! Kids played at the play place and then we headed to a snow cone shack that Shannon had been wanting to try. Delicious!
Our final stop was Neptune Park. The kids still had a ton of energy and played and played. Nate & Zach found a group of people playing snake toss and watched patiently and then they let them have a turn. I love spending time with Shannon – it was a real treat.
This is a rare moment – Ryan asleep – so it had to be documented.
On Thursday, Leslie and I took the kids to Ikea where they played at the play place and we shopped. It was my first time ever being able to check the boys in to play – it’s always full! We enjoyed an hour wandering around Ikea.
The boys and I went straight from there to my Aunt Leslie’s house to play and visit. Aunt Tina was supposed to join us but Zeke was sick so they stayed home. Nate & Ryan loved playing with Will in the sandbox, pool & sprinklers. Aunt Leslie was great and fed us lunch and then Andrea and the girls stopped by to say hello. I always love seeing them!
On Friday morning, Leslie and I headed in to Salt Lake. Our first stop was Banbury Donuts for breakfast. We had a near catastrophe with Brooks as he was one step away from walking in to oncoming traffic on 900 South. Lets just say Leslie just about had a heart attack – her instincts saved her little man!
On we went to the Discovery Children's Museum where we met up with Nancee and her boys. The museum is always a hit. Next stop? Pizzeria Limone for lunch where Michelle and Caleb joined us. It was a little Serene Ward reunion in Salt Lake. Leslie had to leave before this picture was taken . . .
On Friday night, Wes flew up. The boys were nice enough to have Big Ryan take a van full to the airport to pick up Wes so Leslie and I could go out and about for a girls night. We went shopping and to dinner – it was nice to get out with Les!
Saturday, Big Ryan and Wes golfed all day. Leslie had siblings in town so she went to the lake with her family and I took the boys to “This is the Place – Heritage Park” for the first time. It’s been on my list for years and we finally made it. It was perfect timing because Nate has been learning about the pioneers and so he was really interested in learning and seeing. Our first stop was an actual home from back then where the boys could play, work in the garden & do their own laundry on a wash board. Cutest pioneers worked there!
One thing we do every time we go to Utah is see animals. We are animal-deprived in Las Vegas. Luckily they could ride ponies, pet pigs and milk a fake cow.
Nate was OBSESSED with the blacksmith. He would have stayed in there all day! He watched him start his daily fire, make tools, etc. Right up Nate’s alley.
The train and panning for gold were also huge hits.
Nate needed a picture of the view.
It was another great trip to Utah. Glad I decided to go! Next time we’ll have a little lady in tow.
2 comments:
Looks like you had a great trip to Salt Lake. You are one entertaining mom! How do you have the energy to do that being 7 months pregnant? Glad you had a good time.
Dang you are looking good! Loved getting caught up on all your adventures. Especially CABO!
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