Utah Summer '11

Last month we made our annual summer pilgrimage to Utah! It is always the highlight

of our summer, and this year was no exception. Due to his summer school teaching job ending

and his new position as Principal Richardson starting on practically the same day, Pete was 

cheated out of a summer vacation this year, and had to stay home and work while the kids and I 

journeyed up to the Beehive state by ourselves.  But once we arrive we are able to spend our time

non-stop with family members participating in all of our favorite Utah activities! 

Our first big outing is to Lagoon! Since I first brought the kids here several years ago they have wanted to come on every summer visit.  That is fine by me as I love spending time here in the place that brought me so many fun memories as a child.  Some things have changed, but so much has stayed the same, it's fun to see my kids experiencing the same things I loved when I was their age.  

It's even better when CD leaves work early and spends the day here with us!! 

Lagoon! 

Harriet loses a tooth waiting in line for Rattlesnake Rapids 

 Ride a lot of rides 

(Jack and Carol holding on for dear life in the back) 

We celebrate Pioneer Day when a parade passes right by Grandma and Grandpa's house

 Complete with horses, 

 handcarts

and even Jack on his unicycle 

We spend a lovely day hiking in the mountains near Brighton with CD

 and Spence, Sarah and baby Clara! 

 past the dormant ski lifts, through the wildflowers

to Lake Mary where there is still snow visible on the ground 

we name this Mount Disney

the kids even managed to get attacked by a bear 

Grandpa and Grandma take us up to Park City one morning to ride the Alpine Slide 

It's been awhile since I was up here - quite an operation they've got going! 

Next year we want to try the roller coaster or zip line 

 riding the ski lift up over the slide track

looking back towards beautiful Park City Utah 

 collect our sleds 

and head down the mountain! 

end of the line 

We spend an afternoon at another kind of slide...

 a classic water slide!

(at Classic Fun Center)

the kids have fun taking endless runs down the water pipes

and playing around with a giant shark 

 But Harriet is happiest when Sarah and Clara come and 

hang out with us!

Actually, the most fun that we have in Utah is hanging out with family.

Several evenings during our visit we head to Spence and Sarah's big backyard

and spend time with family doing all sorts of fun things like barbecue dinners,

Frisbee free for alls, baby playtime, planning sessions, and owl gazing.  

These are the best times, just watching the

kids running around and laughing and trying to make their cousin smile while

us adults get to relax and chat and just enjoy each other's company.  

I'm glad we did this several times during our visit to make up for the guilt

I feel raising my kids far away from everyone here.

playing with Clara 

climbing the awesome trees

swinging 

eating delicious sweet Utah corn with our meal

hanging out with everyone's favorite CD

making s'mores with oversize marshmallows 

regular sized marshmallow vs. oversize marshmallow 

Every night right at dusk Spence and Sarah's tree owls would come out and 

hang out on their branches - it was so cool to see their fluffy little bodies 

can you find two owls here? 

My kids loved nothing more than making Clara the center of attention

Clara and her dad 

Our last night in town we leave dad and grandpa at home with the baby

and the rest of us head down to the Hale Centre Theater for a 

fun theater in the round production of 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

post-show photos with the muscle men 

Thanks everyone for entertaining us and making us feel so welcome! 

See you soon!