Our week in Midway...

Last week we spent a great week together in Midway...  we had a timeshare exchange we needed to use and decided that would be a great place to stay... and it was!  We did TONS of  fun stuff...

Starting with some shopping at the Park City Outlets...

Shane is totally outnumbered in the shopping department, he and Lydia hung out in the car... and napped...  and then he went to WalMart and bought a football....????  Good thing his girls were willing to play catch with him later!

The next day we hung out at the resort...   swam, explored, played games and rode on the Carousel at the hotel next door.  It was probably Jadyn's favorite activity of the week...  She asked again and again to go on the "Spinney-cell"

The next day we went to church and then decided to hike to Timpanogos Cave.  It seemed like a simple thing... only 1 1/2 miles...  but throw in a 1200 foot elevation change and a baby strapped to your front and it wasn't quite so easy.

But we made it...  and the cave was fantastic!

It was a hot, hot day... like 95 degrees hot... so the cave was a fabulous place to cool off...

Little Lydi rode like this and she was a total trooper the whole time, we never had to stop for her once!  She is truly an angel!

Jadyn rode like this for way more than Shane hoped for...

We were grateful for a nap that afternoon...

The next day was spent at the Gateway...

We have always wanted to try out Discovery Gateway... and Saige had a family pass from a school assembly so we spent a few hours there.  The girls had fun exploring and playing... I am so glad that my big girls still know how to act like little kids and get right in there "pretending" with their little sisters.

We didn't do any shopping at the Gateway, but did spend a little time at the Fountain...

The next day we rode on the Heber Valley Railroad it was fun... a nice relaxing ride with beautiful views.

(I often times ask people to take our family picture for us... ususally they turn out pretty good...  I thought this one was great... until I noticed that we lost daughter #4 at the bottom.... hehehehe...)

I can't imagine traveling very far in seats this close together...  talk about knee knocking!

I spent a good part of the ride taking cute pictures of my girls...

And yes I am hanging out of the train to get most of these pics...

 

That night my Mom and Dad and Andy and Missy came to Midway to see us. We went to dinner at a delicious restaurant with them.  Since my mom is from Midway she was more than happy to come up for a visit...  I would have to agree with her... there is something very beautiful and peaceful about that valley.

The next day was another day of hanging at the resort.  We were all excited that Joe, Lisa and Josh Astle, and Josh's friend Megan were coming to see us later.  The plan was the for the guys to golf at the HomeStead and the girls to shop in Park City.  Shane was VERY excited about the golf thing... we were right on the course and I saw him longingly gazing out at it everyday. :)

But the girls didn't have a bad time shopping either...  We may or may not have got in trouble in stores for taking pictures and horsing around... but I'm not saying for sure.  The guys decided on 18 holes so we had plenty of time for getting in trouble.

The next morning we headed to the Salt Lake Temple so that Shane and I could go to our nephew Chris' wedding.  It was very nice and we were glad that we were able to attend.  During that the girls hung out on the Temple grounds... took pictures and explored the visitor center...  We sure are thankful that Tayler and Saige are such responsible sisters....

After a change of clothes we were off to Hogle Zoo... the Astle's were meeting us there and  Jadyn was excited to see all the animals... in her words.... "the monkeys, the pigs, the horses, the cows??"

This was our whole group... a pretty exciting group I might add... I mean those people leaning over the fence staring at us seem thoroughly entertained don't they?

And Joe is just now pointing out that Shane looked fab with a couple of his girls purses??

We saw it all... rode the train and carousel... ate cotton candy, ice cream and fries... and drank out of the lions mouth of course. :)  All together a fabulous day!!

Joe was a little tuckered out by the end though...

But we all had a great day and ended with dinner at PF Changs... my favorite...

Thanks for coming with us guys you were all lots of fun.

That night we swam for the last time.. 

and headed home the next morning.  It was a good week...  I am grateful for my family and for all the memories that we make together.  You are the best!

Bear Lake...

Yesterday Shane arrived home from his 10 day "trip" to Hawaii...  He was working.(on the Laie Temple).. hard I might add, but with not bad scenery when he was not. :)  We missed him, but decided to have a great time anyway!!

We headed to my parents condo at Bear Lake for the week... had lots of visitors and lots of  fantastic times!

The first day (monday)  Lisa drove up with us.  Lisa is pretty much one of mine and my girls favorite people... she spoils my children...  Jadyn still thinks she needs a 44 oz rootbeer everyday thanks to Lisa!

On Tuesday evening Kim and Deon joined us with their kids.

We had a great time of course... stayed up till 4 am chatting and laughing, and spent most of Wednesday at the beach and pool.  Later that day the girls wanted to rent a tandem bike.  I don't know that I have ever ridden (is that a word? It looks weird...) one...  I thought I wanted to try it.  But it was creepy, I love Lisa, but apparently don't trust her as the driver and me as the rider, can you tell?

Kim and Deon seemed much more calm... they did almost run down an important man though... do any of you recognize him?

Well we chased him down to shake his hand...

It's L. Tom Perry... I didn't recognize him at first, I was too busy taking pictures of my biking friends, but when he walked by he said in his familiar voice, "So sorry for ruining your pictures."  I laughed and said, "oh, no, not at all."   When Kim rode by to tell us who he was I remembered how I knew that voice.  We had a nice chat with him and he warned me to enjoy my kids because when they turn 16 I am going to have to "WATCH OUT!"

Later that night all our friends went home and the next day my sister Shelly and her kids came up for a couple of days.

The kids all had fun... got plenty of sun time and wii "just dance" time in too!

Thursday night I took most of the kids to Pickleville Playhouse to watch "Crazy for You".  Deon's son Nate is in it...  one of Jadyn's favorite people (ours too of course.)  It was fun!  The girls especially loved having their "Pickles" at intermission.

Thanks Shell for watching Lydia while we went.

Logan stayed back too... this was as close as Logan got to Lydia the whole month they were here...  not really a baby person...  we love you anyway Logie!

Friday night Shell and fam went home and Saturday my bestest friend since 1st grade Shelby came up with her kids.  

Shelb hasn't come to Bear Lake with me for YEARS, but she used to come every single year with me and my family growing up.  Everyone needs a friend like Shelby... she is someone who is always there and will never be replaced.  I pray that my girls with find friends as awesome as mine were (and are!)

We had a great time... and the kids had a blast together!

It was a fabulous week...

I dare say  we had MUCH more fun than Shane did!! :Even if we didn't see any tropical fish!)

Summer Nights...

We sure are enjoying our warm summer nights...

Although the girls did ask if they could go to bed before 11 at least one time this summer!

4th of July Weekend...

We had a fabulous 4th of July weekend, it started on the 2nd with the city fireworks...  We all love having Paige and Tara here for the summer and were happy to have them come with us, people ask if they are all ours... Shane and I just say yes... that really gets the looks... 7 girls!!

The next morning we went to "the best pancake breakfast in town" with my family.  Yum Yum Yum.

The girls favorite part of the morning was dunking crazy boys like this in freezing cold water...  I think ALL of the girls dunked them at least once most two times!  Kenna had awesome throws like this one... it was her 7th birthday and she was on fire!

Lydia was our little sparkler... What . a .doll.!

We went to Kenna and Jadyn's favorite place for dinner that night... Texas Roadhouse... to celebrate Kenna's B-day.  The next day was actually the 4th, I loved that it was on a Sunday, I think it made me reflect on my gratitude for our freedom more than it would have on any other day of the week. 

The girls looked great in their red, white and blue.

That night we had a "fish fry" with the Heaps, Carlsen's and Astle's.  (After 2 of them we still have fish left from our Oregon trip!)  We had a great 4th of July Weekend... 

Happy Birthday America!!