We are back from our four week trip to Utah and boy oh boy, did we have a fabulous time! Get ready for picture overload!
Huge dust storm we drove through in Colorado. We couldn't tell if it was smoke from all the fires they've been having, but after droving through it and seeing the mess with no smoke smell, we knew it was just a big dust storm. 7/14/12
An hour before making it to my parents house, they all finally zonk out. We drove 18 hours on July 13th and then 13 hours on July 14th.
July 15 - Hanging out with the family after dinner. The kids were going down the sidewalk on bikes and skateboards.
And some kids were playing in the rocks (ahem, Haylee).
July 16th - Aaron helped my dad pack for their Stake Pioneer Trek. We spent an hour or two trying to figure out how to fold up this shelter that was going to be used as privacy for a restroom. I laughed so hard at all the unsuccessful attempts that were made on folding it up!
July 17 - Carter learned that he can jump down into my parent's window wells and then climb out on his own. He thought he was so tough!
July 18th - We drove south to watch one of Kelton's baseball games. It was super hot, but fun to get to see Kelton make some great plays!
Kendra and Haylee watching Kelton just before he goes up to bat. Haylee loved Kendra and much preferred her over me.
July 19th - My mom was so excited to take the kids to the BYU Bean Museum. We pulled up, got out and realized that they are closed for renovations for the next year! Luckily Kelton told us about BYU's paleontology museum and so our whole day wasn't ruined :) Here they are watching some BYU students work on extracting things like dinosaur bones from rock!
At the paleontology museum.
After the paleontology museum, we headed over to BYU creamery for some icecream.
That night I got to go out with some old college roomates.
Sarah, Jennie and I. We met up for dinner with Nicole too, but she left before I got a picture. After dinner, we wandered over to Target for a little shopping together. They are so much fun!
July 20th - We went to American Fork's Steel Days carnival.
Carter was my little dare devil at the carnival. He couldn't find any adults to take him on some of the bigger rides because we knew just how rough they really were. He loved this spinner UFO ride though.
Olivia loved that spinner ride too until she decided it had made her sick. I took Olivia back to the van to rest while everyone else finished up on the rides. While we were at the van, she lost her dinner in the parking lot. I thought it was the rides, but soon discovered that she actually had a good fever going on.
July 21st - Scera Pool in Orem. Here is Olivia (feeling much better after her carnival experience the night before) going down the twisty slide for the umpteenth time. She first went down that steep side on the left, but it was super scary with how far it shot her out at the end that she opted for the twisty slide after that.
Olivia, Haylee and Shellee at the Scera Pool.
Carter made it a few hours of going down the big water slide and off the diving board (with no lifejacket) before saying he didn't feel good. Yep, another fever. He slept underneath the picnic table while we finished swimming.
July 22nd - We all watched the Bachelorette Finale. I think Mark really liked it.
July 23rd - Shonte' took us on the trax train up to Temple Square.
riding Trax
Temple Square
We ran out of time to see all that there is to see up at Temple Square, but Olivia and Max really wanted to tour the Conference Center.
On the roof of the Conference Center.
Looking off the Conference Center roof.
July 24th - Daniel helping Carter get started on the fireworks. We started with the parachutes while it was still light outside.
Ready for a great firework show! Little did Shad and Kevin know that they were laying right where one of the ariel fireworks would aim after it fell over mid explosion! It was a super scary experience, but after making sure everyone was okay, we laughed and made sure to put bricks around the rest of the ariels.
Shellee and Daniel made the firework show a fabulous one! The cops even showed up at the end thinking that our finale firework was illegal.
All the spent fireworks we cleaned up after our show!
July 25th - We took all the kids to Jump On It in Lindon.
They all loved it!
Carter really wanted to make it to the top where Kylan was, but he just wasn't big enough!
Olivia on the rope swing.
July 26th - Shellee painting gel nails on my mom.
She was the gel nail Queen!
Haylee's favorite Utah animal: Buddy! Poor Buddy couldn't escape Haylee's wrath.
July 26th - Bryan came into town! It was so fun to see him...it had been nearly 13 years I think. Shellee and Daniel took us to Malawi's Pizza for dinner. Yum!
Haylee LOVED this portable microphone that my mom still has from when I was a kid.
July 28th - Sam at the Whiteley Reunion Fiesta!
The Whiteley reunion was at the Lindon park and pool. Carter and Olivia LOVED the lazy river!
Larissa, Bryan, Olivia, Haylee, Shellee & Daniel. It was so great to finally meet Larissa, Bryan's wife.
Sterling, Hayley, Larissa, Bryan, Tyson, Gracie, Shellee & Daniel at the reunion
Carter in line for the fish pond at the family reunion. This was, at least, his third time through the line.
Inside the fish pond (Mom's Dora tent), there were three busy girls attaching prizes to the fish line.
Carter got to take a little horseback ride around the park even.
During the evening of the family reunion, the Lindon pool opens only to our family. This is when everyone loves to ride the flow rider, especially Bryan.
Olivia even gave it a try.
Since the reunion day was also Kelton's 13th birthday, we met up at his house after swimming for some cake!
July 29th we went to Shad and Amy's house after church. Their house is full of fun with a huge backyard and even chicken's! I believe Shad is trying to get Carter to hold the chicken here.
Sammy sure isn't afraid to hold his chickens.
Since they have three apple trees, they spent some time trying to throw apples into the far chain link fence.
Carter thought it was hilarious when Sammy would let him push him into his pool.
We distracted Amy from her dessert making and so there were some seriously hard brownies to try.
Maybe a hammer and chisel will break them apart? Nah!
hanging out with Grandma Harper
July 30th - Daniel cooked us all dinner for his birthday!
Shonte' and grandma Harper
Haylee with her BFF, Kendra.
I don't exactly understand what Max is doing here.
Uncle Kevin and I
After a great dinner, Daniel got to open presents. Apparently he likes fruit snacks!
Haylee loved the cheering that was going along with opening presents and so she made herself center of attention with her cheering.
Hooray! Daniel got new sunglasses.
Olivia got brave and held the chicken.
July 31st - Discovery Park followed by dip cones from Macey's. And apparently it was Youth night for every ward around with all the cub scouts, boy scouts and youth groups we ran into between the park and Macey's ice cream. Yes, we were definitely in Utah!
Aug. 1st - Petting farm at Thanksgiving Point
Riding the ponies at Thanksgiving Point
Haylee's favorite part - feeding the little goats.
Five cousins weigh as much as...
Carter, Haylee and Sam waiting for our tractor ride to arrive.
Max and Kelton living it up on the [lame] tractor ride.
After Thanksgiving Point, I decided there was enough time in the day to make a run up Provo canyon to check out Bridal Veil falls. We stopped at Macey's in Orem to buy some popsicles. I could hardly believe my eyes when I spotted a section especially dedicated to food storage! Wow! Yes, DEFINITELY in Utah!
After trying to eat our half melted popsicles, we headed up the trail to check out Bridal Veil Falls. Along the way, we found a little stream that looked less frightening than the raging Provo river and so we stopped to play and cool off.
Somehow one of Sammy's flip flops got away from us and disappeared down the stream. So we decided it probably wasn't a good idea to continue hiking up to the falls with a 1/2 barefooted child.
Max & Kelton putting up with watching one of the several talent shows that Olivia organized.
Aug. 2nd - Carter, Olivia, Kelton, Max and I hiked up to the G on the mountain.
We had a great view from up there. Kelton even hauled his telescope along!
The actual G on the mountain is huge when you get next to it, but it's not a pretty site.
Hiking back down the mountain was very steep and dusty. Carter had several falls, but we made it! I was impressed when Carter notified me of this alligator head look alike rock he found along the trail.
From my parents house, the G on the mountain.
After hiking the G, my mom set up her water slide so all the kids could cool off.
Aug. 3rd - Purple Turtle for lunch! Their halibut fish and chips are the best!
Since Aaron had just gotten back to Utah (after going back to Ohio for 16 long days to work) late on Aug. 2nd, we were able to go and visit some of his family in Layton on Aug. 3rd.
Nobody tell Grandma Lunt that I got a picture of her! She'll have my hide!
Carter, cousin Brynn and Olivia playing in Kirk and Renee's sandbox. Little Brynn is SUCH A DOLL!
Aug. 4th - Carter's birthday!
We all went to Park City to have some fun on the Alpine Slide!
Daniel, Shellee, Olivia, Shonte, Kendra and Max on the lift in front of us. Going up the mountain so we can slide back down it!
Daniel, Shellee and Olivia hauling our sleds to the start of the slide.
Shonte, Carter, Aaron and Kendra
Haylee and I went down the slide together. She giggled the entire way, it was the cutest thing!
Carter and Aaron rode a sled together and caught right up to Olivia on her sled.
After the slide, we were all incredibly thirsty! Snow cones were in order!
Or maybe an ice cream cone for Sammy.
After Park City, we headed back to my parents house for a pizza dinner and Carter's birthday celebration. Carter loved all the presents he got, especially this Safari vest. He can haul/collect lots of things in all of those pockets!
Shonte' is always great at acting interested in every detail of the gifts.
If Carter looks a little tired here, it's because he is. Cake and ice cream coma.
Getting ready to test out his new spider man shooter that he'd been asking for for months.
I'm tellin' ya, Haylee loved that microphone.
Uncle Daniel let Carter shoot his web from his Spider Man shooter all over him.
Carter's face will tell you how much he loved doing that!
Aug. 6th - Aaron biked around the Alpine Loop with my dad. It was a 40 mile ride that went up 4000 feet. Aaron conquered it!
We all stayed home and got to enjoy more shows put on by Olivia (and Grandma).
That night, we celebrated Aaron's birthday with Tucano's for dinner! I had been talking this place up for nearly two years and I don't think Aaron was disappointed. All you can eat meat for dinner? What more could he ask for? I might add that my passion fruit Brazilion lemonade was THE BOMB!
I tried Sushi for the first time.
Not that great. I'll pass for more fried banana's please.
Aug. 7th - We got to go visit more Lunt family! Jake & Kayla invited us over and it was a great visit. Their two little ones are adorable and it was nice to see Mark and Roylene again too.
That night I got to visit with my cousin, Celeste. I didn't get any pictures though. She was my best playmate growing up next door and it had been nearly 7 years since I'd last seen her since she now lives in Las Vegas.
Aug. 8th - our last day in Utah - we took a tour through the Humanitarian Center.
Seeing all the clothes that they sort through was increcible!
After the Humanitarian tour, we had a Smashburger lunch. Aaron and I were able to introduce everyone else to fried pickles...a big hit!
Olivia was just happy to entertain everyone rather than eat.
After Smashburger, we met up with more of Aaron's cousins...Cory invited us over to his house in American Fork and so we got to spend a little time with his cute family. Tyler and his family and ... even showed up. Love that we get see Aaron's extended family while we make these Utah trips.
We were exhausted that night, but Shellee still made the effort to give me some gel nails before we had to leave for home.
After getting packed up on Aug. 9th, we were off to a late start. Luckily for me, it was late enough to grab one more bean burrito from Taco Amigo before finally hitting the long road home to Ohio!
Haylee rarely ends up with the headphones on her head when we are traveling. She usually watches movies in silence as she wraps the cords around her legs or something.
Aug. 9th - Our last views of Utah!
Aug. 11th - Our first views of Ohio!
Wow! What a trip! How blessed we are to be able to make trips like that happen! I love my family and will cherish the memories that were made with them this summer!
