Since it’s been so long since I have written, this will again be a very long entry. I hope you enjoy the adventures as much as we did.
Wednesday June 27 was our last day with Nikki and fam. We decided to make it a relaxing day and so we didn’t plan anywhere to go. Nikki makes girl bows that are cute and “easyâ€. So Nikki went into bow making mode while the kids played. They got out sleds, put them in the front yard, doused them in water and then went “sledding†in the front yard. They must have done that for 3 hours. It really was a fun and relaxing day. Nikki’s brother came over in the late afternoon and helped to entertain the kids while Nikki made a wonderful spaghetti dinner. In the evening we just packed up and let the kids watch a movie. Everyone was in bed sleeping by 10 pm. We said our goodbye’s and i went to sleep too.
I got up bright and early Thursday morning and packed up the last of the things. I got all the kiddo’s up and got them in the car. We pulled out of the driveway about 5:30 am. We were in for a long drive, but the kids seemed up to it. We made our first stop just inside the Colorado boarder. The kids got out, stretched and ate a bit of breakfast. Then we were on the road again. Colorado is beautiful. I can’t really describe it in words, but it just amazed me at the beauty that my eyes beheld. We followed the Colorado river for quite sometime. We climbed up into the mountains 11,000 feet. We saw deer and elk and waterfalls all over the place. We even saw snow. The kids had a great time looking at everything and trying to find animals in the forests. We got to Denver with no mishap and the kids were excited to get out of the car. Upon arrival we got a tour of Denita’s beautiful new home. We got all of our stuff in and enjoyed talking while the kids explored and played. We had a wonderful dinner of enchilada’s and Spanish rice. After that we went on a walk to a park close to their house. Then we watched the end of a baseball game. Then headed home. We got the kiddo’s bathed and in bed by 10 pm. Then Frankie, Denita and I stayed up till past midnight just catching up on old times, laughing and playing. It was a wonderful day.
Friday was a beautiful morning. I went to the temple while Frankie and Denita stayed with the kids. As soon as I got home we went and had a picnic lunch in the park. After that we did naps then went to a rec center and let the kids swim. It was a fun pool with little water slides that Milo went down. There was a lazy river and other fun water things to do. The kids were pretty beat by the time we got home. We bathed them and fed them a yummy pizza dinner. That night we set up a tent in the basement and all the kids slept down there. I think they had a great time. Again, the adults stayed up late talking. Not too late this time. I wanted to make sure I was rested enough to drive back to Utah the next day.
Saturday morning came way too soon and I slept in a bit. I finally pulled out of bed around 6:30 am and we were on the road by 7 am. I had planned to go back to Utah via highway 80 since I wanted to end up in more Northern Utah. The drive through Wyoming was not as beautiful as Colorado, but it was fun and we did enjoy it very much. The kids have been absolute gems during all the driving. I am pleasantly surprised at how well they ride in the car and how easily entertained they are with the scenery and the games we play. We arrived in Layton around 3 pm. We were going to stay at my friend Cathy’s house for a few days. Upon arriving i realized that I did not recognize her two younger children. They had all changed so much. It was amazing to me. I needed an oil change, so Cathy, Mitchell, her oldest son, and I went out. We just talked and laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. After the oil change we went to the store for some snacks then we picked up some pizza. We got home in enough time to feed all the kids, load the cars and head to the drive in. We saw the new rat movie (can’t spell the name). It was cute. The kids had never been to a drive thru before and so they LOVED it. Even Afton was a good baby. We set up her port-a-crib and she slept soundly through the whole movie. The kids didn’t get to bed till after midnight that night. They didn’t seem to mind though. They loved it. Cathy has five children, all teenagers. They are AWESOME with little kids and so it was fun to watch the older five and the younger five interact. At one point Milo asked Mitchell ‘can I just call you daddy?’. It was very cute.
Sunday was a chill day. Cathy’s church doesn’t start till one so we all just got up late, ate some REALLY yummy waffles, and then got ready for church. We made it to church with no mishaps. The meetings were very nice and it was fun to watch my kids so willingly go to a primary where they knew no one. But since the spirit was the same and the lessons the same, it was easy for them to sit there and learn about Jesus. I am grateful for the church because it does offer routine to the kids. No matter where we are on Sunday we can go to church and feel the same spirit we feel at home in our own ward. By the time we got back to Cathy’s it was 4:30. We had a great grilled chicken dinner with the fix’ns. Then Cathy and I made a trip to Mandi’s, I had left some stuff over there. Upon return we all went down to the basement and played DDR (dance, dance revolution). It was FUN. Even Cathy and I took a turn challenging each other. Again seeing the older kids interact with the younger kids was awesome. It was fun to seem them encouraging each other and helping the little kids feel good about the game. We put all the little kids to bed and then the “adults†stayed up late and played a game. It was fun, fun, fun.
Monday was used to get some errands done before heading off for the day to do some go-carting and four wheeling. Mitchell put a hitch on the van so we could help pull some of the “toysâ€. We were finished doing all we had to do by 3 pm. We loaded in the car, got to the place and played. The kids got on the toys right away while Cathy, Mitchell and I tried to get a fire started to cook hot dogs. We had forgotten to bring matches. After trying to use the car cigarette lighter, I hopped onto a four wheeler and found some campers. They kindly gave me a lighter and within 20 minutes we were all devouring a dinner of hot dogs, carrots, grapes, chips and water. It was a great dinner. Then we played. The kids just loved it. They loved the speed, they loved the bumps and they loved the dirt. It was so fun to watch my kids laugh and really have fun. Milo kept asking to go faster and Niah (who wouldn’t go near them at first) didn’t want to get off when it was time to go. Even Cathy and I took our turns with speed and bumps. It was fun to play and have fun too. By the time we got loaded up and heading down the mountain it was after 8 pm. We got home just before nine. We bathed all the kids and they were in bed by 9:45. Cathy wanted to introduce me to a new restaurant. She thought it closed at 10 but alas, it closed at 9, so we went to Del Taco instead (the only thing open in Layton after 10 pm). It was good and we got back home in enough time to pass out from exhaustion.
Tuesday came too soon. But then again, not soon enough. I knew this was the last day to visit with Cathy, but I also knew this was the day Scott was going to fly in. We spent the morning doing laundry, running errands and helping Cathy get some of her “to-do†list done. It was fun for the kids because they could run free and catch bugs, or jump on the trampoline or play with their new found buddies. By 3 we took a break, dressed the kids and headed to the Clearfield rec center. Again, a very fun place to swim and have fun. The 10 kids played in the water for 2 ½ hours. It was fun to watch them play and have fun. They had a good sized water slide that Jaime, Alix and Milo went down. They all had fun. I went down three times! Jaime went down at least 10! We left there at 7:15. Upon arriving home I bathed all the kids and myself. Then I put them all to bed. At 8:30, Cathy, two of her children and me went to the new restaurant. It was AWESOME!! It was a Mexican food place and I loved it. Sometime during the course of the day, Milo had decided that Mitchel was “his dude†and Jordan was “his sonâ€. It was pretty cute and the boys took it well. Niah attached herself to Jordan right off. She followed him everywhere, she even tried to follow him into the bathroom a couple of times. For a 14 year old boy, he took it very well.
After that, we went home. I packed up a little more, Cathy finished her “to-do†list and at 11 pm we headed to the airport. Scott and Bob (Cathy’s husband) were arriving at the Salt Lake air port at the same time. We got there a few minutes late, but the boys didn’t seem to mind. They were spending the time catching up on old times. Both boys were famished so we hit up the closest Denny’s. As we walked in the waitress was informing us that they only had one cook and it was at least an hour wait. We found a different Denny’s and they had the same problem. We just decided to wait and enjoy each other’s conversation and company. We got out of there sometime after 1 am and back to Cathy’s house around 2. We chatted a little longer and then retired to bed.
Wednesday morning, Scott had wanted to get up super early and come to Blanding. However, after such a late night, he decided sleeping in might be the better choice. We enjoyed seeing and visiting with all the Tryon’s one last time before heading off. There were 14 of us in their house and it felt wonderful. A spirit of love and laughter was present and for that I am grateful. I love having friends who have the spirit in their home and it is obvious. After some sad goodbyes we loaded up and headed out. It was about 9 am. We stopped for gas and while i was pulling out I hit the red pole that prevents one from hitting the gas pump. I was a bit mortified, to say the least. We got out and the red on the white was VERY apparent. However, it quickly became apparent that it was just an exchange of paint. So Scott and I grabbed their window washers and started scrubbing. 20 minutes later, it looked as if nothing had happened. Scott, being the wonderful husband that he is, hasn’t said a word about it, or given me grief at all. Since it took so long at the gas station, all the kiddo’s had to go to the bathroom. It was worth getting them out, then we knew we wouldn’t have to stop again. The drive was a little different with Scott in the car. The kids were so excited to be with their daddy that they couldn’t stop talking the whole time. It made for quite the interesting drive. However, we did make it to Blanding with no problem. We pulled in a little after 3 pm. We went straight into Aunt Kate’s house and said our hello’s and we fed the kids. They went right to playing after eating. Afton went down for a nap and so did I. Three hours later when Scott came in to ask if I wanted dinner I was still really out of it, but thought it best that I eat. We had a great dinner of grilled chicken and steak. Then we headed over to the house that we would be staying in for the next few days. Then we went and saw Stan and Angela’s house and their kiddo’s. That is where we found our troop. We gathered together and headed to Joe and Shauna’s to enjoy the Blanding fire works show. It started about 10 pm. It was a great show and was going along quite nicely till the wind picked up and they had to cease before the finale. It was after 11 pm by the time we got the kids back to the house. They were filthy so we bathed them all and they were in bed by midnight. It was a long but VERY fun day.
It has been an amazing and fun trip. I have really enjoyed all that has happened and am looking forward to the last five days of the trip. It will be hard to go back to “reality†but I know I have to sometime! My kids have loved the freedom of playing outside and feeling safe. They have enjoyed new experiences and new people. Thanks to all my friends and family who have made this trip so wonderful so far. I suppose you will get one more VERY long entry about the end of the trip, then it will be back to the normal, boring, everyday stuff. Much love to all.
Comments are closed.
