Utah recap

If you haven't guessed already, I had a great time in Utah. Here are a few pics (with explanations) from the trip.

Thursday: I landed in SLC about noonish. After grabbing some lunch it was time to shop. First stop: Rod Works...my FAVE place in the entire world! And at a close 2nd is Taipan, which was our second stop. I only had a few minutes to spare before meeting up with my girls for dinner at Pei Wei. It was so great to see my girls! It was even more exciting that all girls living in Utah were able to join us. We missed you Mern!

Good food, good conversation, good times indeed! After dinner we thought it would be fun to extend the festivities so we got dessert at my new favorite ice cream place: Red Mango. Mmm mmm good! And a low fat treat too! If only Rod Works and Red Mango existed in AZ, my life would be complete! Oh, I almost forgot...as me and Amos were leaving Pei Wei to go to Red Mango I saw this beauty:

A big old Ford truck with a pink Ford logo on it. I tell you, if I could afford the gas, insurance and if I had a bigger garage, I would definitely have a big truck with a pink Ford logo emblazoned on the front!

Friday: The day started early with more shopping, but this time it was for groceries. Love Costco! Oh, and we even stopped at Walmart to get some smaller items, where I managed to find a pair of sunglasses identical to the ones that broke at the airport (yep, my big fat carry on bag smashed my sunglasses and they broke in half...sad). That afternoon I met a new pal for lunch at the ever delicious Cafe Rio. Yum! Why they are going out of business in AZ I will never know... After lunch I made my second trip to Rod Works to put an even bigger dent in my pocketbook. Here are some of the treasures I took home with me (combining my purchases with early birthday presents from friends):

The kids (meaning my brother, his wife, my niece and nephews) came over that night for games and treats. It was fun rolling down the grassy hill next to my parentals' condo with the little ones. However, I quickly realized that my equilibrium is not quite what it used to be when I was younger. It took me literally one minute to get my head to stop spinning after just one roll down the hill. Fun, yet not really.

Saturday: Another early start to get to my brother's house before the baptism so we could follow him to the stake center. You would think in Utah that one would not have to drive far to get to a church or even a stake center, but my brother just happens to be in the one area in Utah where it takes half a day to drive to the stake center. Once there the baptismal service took place. My cute little Kensie looked like an angel in her white dress:

There were 4 kids getting baptized and Kensie was the first in line. I thought it was so cute to see her getting emotional during the day. She kept saying that she was so happy and that she felt so warm inside. This girl has such a sweet spirit. I have no doubt she will grow up to be an amazing woman! Yep, I bawled like a baby. Kensie was my first niece (the first grandchild actually) to be born and I was privileged to be at the hospital that day. I held her when she was just minutes old and she has held a special place in my heart ever since. It felt like she was my daughter down there in the water. Touching... I am so proud of her!

After the baptism it was back to my brother's house for a fun little feast and birthday celebration for Jackson. As I mentioned earlier, he would get the biggest look of shock on his face every time he opened a present and would run to his dad, laughing all the way, to show him what he got:

He even got excited to open my lame present consisting of a shirt and shorts. Actually, it was funny because the first thing he saw was the box the clothes were nestled in and he got excited to see that! After opening presents it was time to eat cake. My sis-in-law made this:

How cute is that? Jackson blew out the candles:

...but he got a little too close to the flame and burned his lip. A wet washcloth seemed to help...

After the cake it was nap time...for everyone!

The kids came over later that night for games and more fun. I got to take the kids down to the hidden creek area where we threw leaves into the water and watched them float:

Doesn't Jackson look cute in the stellar outfit I got him?

A little picnic on the porch...

Sunday: the dreaded drive! I made my parents go a different way than normal because they promised a stop at the Grand Canyon look out. Turns out it was really Glen Canyon, but it was a fun diversion nonetheless:

And now I am home...back to work, back to the 100 degree temperatures. It is not that I am sad to be home, I just wish I could have stayed longer and spent more time with friends and family. Oh, and now I am getting sick. Argh!