Utah!!

So, way back at the beginning of August, we packed up the family in our Mini-Van and took it on it's first real road trip to Utah.  We drove to Las Vegas the first night and stayed there then left for American Fork, Utah, where our good friends the Thompsons now live and they were so gracious to let us stay with them for a few nights.  On our way we stopped in St. George to see this beautiful Temple. 

 and who should we run into but our best buddies, the Cooke Family also heading to Utah.  We were all headed to Utah  for a decidedly sad occasion, Our good friend's the Gray's had just lost their newborn son, Henry, and we were going to stand by their side I had to wait a considerably long time to write this post because I am just so dang emotional about the whole thing.  Seeing Emily and Brent and their strength has really strengthened me in my testimony of our purposes here on Earth and the love our Heavenly Father has for us. 

 We got to American Fork and walked to the neighborhood park to get all those car trip wiggles out, it was beautiful we were little enamored as neither Bryan nor I had been through Utah since we were children and I had just driven through on one of our Cross Country Moves.

 it poured down rain the second we walked back in the door to the house...with lightening and thunder and all, quite a treat for my boys!!

 The next day we went to Salt Lake City for the funeral.

We decided to stop by and see the Salt Lake City Temple before hand and it was really nice and the boys absolutely loved it, plus they got hang out with Kien and Caleb and that is always fun!!

 touching the door to the Temple:  Kevin said he could here Jesus talking inside.  I asked him what he said, He said, "He said to be a Good Example"  man, I love this kid...

We went out for lunch after the Temple and after the funeral we went out for lunch again?? but we wanted to get to spend a little time with our friends the Stevens

6 of the 7 boys all 5 years old or younger that we took out to eat, that poor waitress!

I stole these pics off of their blog...but I'm in em' so I figured it was okay  :)  Here we are, an old gang reunited

after the funeral was a get together at Brent's family  home.  It was so nice to get to see our friends, Brent and Emily, Kristen and Jake and the kiddos, and Claire and Eric and the kiddos, all friends we hadn't seen in such a long time as we all live in different states or countries right now.

 Saturday we just hung out with the Thompson's and took it easy before we had to leave for home that evening. The boys had their first experience with  a slip-n-slide (they are hooked).  and we picked apricots which was another really fun pastime...

 we got lots of apricots!!

 

 Then we headed home and that is when we got this news!!

(it is related to advil and my desire to take some but fear that maybe I shouldn't)

 Then we went swimming at the hotel!!  Then headed the rest of the way home.

 I brought HALF the apricots home and decided to make apricot preserves...and thus had my first canning experience (as and adult) and it was good so yay!!

The End