So, I know it's been almost a month since the kids and I went to Utah, but, like always, I'm playing catch-up. It was such a fun trip and I'm so glad I had a GREAT excuse to go up there. A really cute young Marine family in my ward had just gotten the green light to get their endowments and to be sealed together in the temple. Since they had just gotten out of the Marine Corps and moved up to Utah, that's where they decided to get these ordinances done. Thankfully, they let be apart of thess special days and gave me a wonderful excuse to make a trip up to Utah, visit a big chuck of my extended family, and revisit a very special temple.
On our way up to Utah, we stopped in Las Vegas for the night and stayed at the BEA-U-TI-FUL Mandalay Bay Hotel. I LOVE this hotel. Ok, so I've always wanted to stay there, but it's always been too pricey for Scott and I (reminder that Scott is more of the penny pincher in this equation then I...). Welp, I found a great deal and booked the room! It was a total treat! It was 110 degrees outside, so we spent over 3 hours playing in their AWESOME "beach" pool. It was sooo relaxing, even with my two little monsters splashing all over the place! A great way to start this road trip.
For the first few days we were in Utah we stayed with my Aunt Susan up in Kaysville. We had so much fun hanging out with the whole Wiser clan (minus two sons, one on a mission and one busy with work). This is where the kids fell in love with Lego's (saved from when Susan's 4 boys were much younger) and since then I have succumbed to buying a basic set for the kids to play with. Thanks Aunt Susan and Uncle Jerry for letting us stay with you!!
Our busiest day of the whole trip was on Sunday when after packing the car back up and saying good-bye to my aunt & uncle, we went to church with my Uncle Quin's family (thankfully also in Kaysville!) and I was blessed with sitting in on my Aunt Heidi's lesson for her Mia Maid class and then my Uncle Quin's Gospel Doctrine Class, where I learned a bunch of cool stories about my ancestor's that I've never heard before! Such a treat! After church we drove down to Sandy and had a huge (& delicious!) meal with my Uncle Mark's family. They caught me up on all of my 7 cousins and their 6 grand-children, crazy! We even got to see my cousin Paul and his wife and baby, who were visiting from Pennsylvania. We finally made our way down to Orem, where we stayed for the rest of our trip with my Aunt Judy and Uncle Vern. So, in one day I saw all my Aunt's and Uncle's on my father's side and none of them saw each other. It was a really good day, long, but good! ;)
While in Utah I took the kids to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was so awesome to walk through! I really wish I could've enjoyed it more, but having Lindie in a stroller that didn't want to cooperate and then having her break down into hysterics because I wouldn't let her run around, was a little bit of a distraction to say the least. I'm just extremely grateful for the cookies they provided to everyone after the tour- the quickest way to silence my kids!!
And the high-light of the trip was attending my friends endowment session and then their sealing the following day (which also happened to be my birthday!!). They had both ordinances done at the Mount Timpanogas Temple in American Fork. The same temple that Scott and I got sealed in 6 years ago, which was also the only time I've even been to this temple. I was so excited to be there for Natasha and Josh, but I felt really bad because I was an emotional wreck! Being there made me miss Scott so much and I know the people around me thought I was crazy or something cause I'd start crying (ok, mini-bawling, I was trying reallllllly hard to not make any noise!) every 10-15 mins! Even though I was totally worrying about and missing Scott, the opportunity to be there in the temple was exactly what my soul needed and I was so excited to be there for Natasha and Josh. The next day, when they were sealed, was even better! I think the whole room was proud of themselves for not breaking down during their sealing ceremony, but the second they brought in their 1 year old son to be sealed to his mom and dad, you could hear all the women start sniffling and reaching for the tissues! It was such a special moment! I'm so happy and excited for Natasha and Josh! Way to go you guys!
On our way up to Utah, we stopped in Las Vegas for the night and stayed at the BEA-U-TI-FUL Mandalay Bay Hotel. I LOVE this hotel. Ok, so I've always wanted to stay there, but it's always been too pricey for Scott and I (reminder that Scott is more of the penny pincher in this equation then I...). Welp, I found a great deal and booked the room! It was a total treat! It was 110 degrees outside, so we spent over 3 hours playing in their AWESOME "beach" pool. It was sooo relaxing, even with my two little monsters splashing all over the place! A great way to start this road trip.
For the first few days we were in Utah we stayed with my Aunt Susan up in Kaysville. We had so much fun hanging out with the whole Wiser clan (minus two sons, one on a mission and one busy with work). This is where the kids fell in love with Lego's (saved from when Susan's 4 boys were much younger) and since then I have succumbed to buying a basic set for the kids to play with. Thanks Aunt Susan and Uncle Jerry for letting us stay with you!!
Our busiest day of the whole trip was on Sunday when after packing the car back up and saying good-bye to my aunt & uncle, we went to church with my Uncle Quin's family (thankfully also in Kaysville!) and I was blessed with sitting in on my Aunt Heidi's lesson for her Mia Maid class and then my Uncle Quin's Gospel Doctrine Class, where I learned a bunch of cool stories about my ancestor's that I've never heard before! Such a treat! After church we drove down to Sandy and had a huge (& delicious!) meal with my Uncle Mark's family. They caught me up on all of my 7 cousins and their 6 grand-children, crazy! We even got to see my cousin Paul and his wife and baby, who were visiting from Pennsylvania. We finally made our way down to Orem, where we stayed for the rest of our trip with my Aunt Judy and Uncle Vern. So, in one day I saw all my Aunt's and Uncle's on my father's side and none of them saw each other. It was a really good day, long, but good! ;)
While in Utah I took the kids to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It was so awesome to walk through! I really wish I could've enjoyed it more, but having Lindie in a stroller that didn't want to cooperate and then having her break down into hysterics because I wouldn't let her run around, was a little bit of a distraction to say the least. I'm just extremely grateful for the cookies they provided to everyone after the tour- the quickest way to silence my kids!!
And the high-light of the trip was attending my friends endowment session and then their sealing the following day (which also happened to be my birthday!!). They had both ordinances done at the Mount Timpanogas Temple in American Fork. The same temple that Scott and I got sealed in 6 years ago, which was also the only time I've even been to this temple. I was so excited to be there for Natasha and Josh, but I felt really bad because I was an emotional wreck! Being there made me miss Scott so much and I know the people around me thought I was crazy or something cause I'd start crying (ok, mini-bawling, I was trying reallllllly hard to not make any noise!) every 10-15 mins! Even though I was totally worrying about and missing Scott, the opportunity to be there in the temple was exactly what my soul needed and I was so excited to be there for Natasha and Josh. The next day, when they were sealed, was even better! I think the whole room was proud of themselves for not breaking down during their sealing ceremony, but the second they brought in their 1 year old son to be sealed to his mom and dad, you could hear all the women start sniffling and reaching for the tissues! It was such a special moment! I'm so happy and excited for Natasha and Josh! Way to go you guys!
You can kinda see my baby bump...
When Scott left on deployment I really didn't give much thought to my birthday this year. I turned the big 3-0 last year, so it's not like this year was going to be anything special. I've always been excited for my birthday (I'm one of those people who believe your birthday is a week long celebration!), but didn't want to get all excited and have it be totally anti-climatic and get depressed about it (which I'm totally guilty for on past birthdays...). This year, even without Scott, I was pleasantly surprised on what a good birthday I had. The kids and I had a wonderful morning going to a museum and then to the Creamery for lunch (YUM!) on the BYU campus, I got to go to my friend's sealing, my Aunt & Uncle toke us all out for dinner at Red Robin's (I LOVE their steak fries- one of my big preggo cravings!), and I got to talk to my WONDERFUL husband for a full 30 minutes! I love him so much!! Thanks baby for calling me!
The next day we left to come back home and the kids were so sad to leave! They had a blast hanging out with cousins and playing with all the fun toys my Aunt Judy had in her basement! Brennen is still asking to go back and play! Thanks Aunt Judy and Uncle Vern for letting us stay with you and especially, thank you Aunt Judy for watching my kids so I could attend the temple! We had such a great time. I can't wait till we can go back and visit!