Salt Lake & Wyoming

We were able to get away to Salt Lake and Evanston, WY for a family reunion. We left early Thursday morning and headed for Salt Lake. We took the Kia which made for a LOOOONG ride with the kids. Levi was a know it all obnoxious stink! After a while we took to calling him Professor "E". He wanted to argue everything. He knew it all! He kept telling us that his sisters were getting under his skin! They were driving him crazy. Which in turn drove us crazy!............ (For those who don't know... Quinn took a vacation with his family as a kid. To make a long story short his siblings called him Professor "E" on that trip. The "E" stands for Everything).

But one nice thing was that Quinn and I gave each kid some money before we left. They could spend it anyway they wanted on the trip. BUT Quinn and I would not be buying them ANY treats (only meals). They had to use their own money. It worked out quite well. We had NO kids begging us for treats at each stop! Levi didn't buy a thing until Evantson at Walmart, where he bought a Play Station game. Then lucky for him Uncle Mike had given all the kids $5. He used that for treats on the way home.

Anyway, we made it to Salt Lake and checked in to our hotel. We took the kids for a swim and then went to eat. We tried to go to the movies and what we were after had already started. So we went back to the hotel and went right over the the A&W next to us to get ice cream. When walking over I saw 2 police cars at our hotel, but ignored them. While ordering, the boy behind the counter asks if we are staying at "that" hotel? I tell him yes and he wants to know what is going on over there? I had no clue. He said.... "I heard there was a shooting that is why there is ALL those police cars there." So I turn to look and there is more than 2 police cars. Quite a few. Then a news station van pulls up. This sends Levi into panic mode! We take our ice cream and walk right into the front of the hotel, where Police are searching a room on the first floor. And some people we walk past are talking about how high they jumped when they heard the gun shot. Well, from "our" assumption, there was no shooting or we wouldn't have been able to first of all walk into the hotel and second...been able to walk past the police and the room. It looked to us like someone was putting a gun into the safe and it went off. But our worry wart Levi was worried the REST of the night! Wanting to know if we felt safe?!

The next day... We took the kids to Temple Square. First thing we did was go to the Jospeh Smith movie at the Legacy Theater. I asked Quinn why we didn't wait until later in the day? My make-up was a mess! We took them into the tabernacle and confrence center. To the Church History Musem which was quite neat. We also took them to see Legacy in the visitors center. After that we took the kids down the road to an outdoor mall. Brycie was in heaven. Levi not so much. He wanted to spend his money and not shop. He say's there is a differance! Anyway..... Quinn took Levi to see the new Batman movie while the girls and I "shopped". But I can say that I have had enough of Clairs to last me a lifetime! We went to check into a different hotel and swim again. Then went on a hunt for a Chipotle that we saw on our way into Salt Lake. It was not found by the GPS because it was so new. But we did find it and everyone was in heaven. We went back to the hotel and got up early to head for Evantson. We got to Grammies and Brycie was bitten by Uncle Mikes dog. She was fine aside from a bruise and tears. We spent a "few" hours at the reunion. We visited and ate. When we were getting ready to eat, a deer came bounding up the river. Right out of some bushes in front of Levi and accross the sidewalks. The kids got to swim in the river and do the scavenger hunt. Then we were on the road again. We drove to Blanding and made our way home Sunday. Oh and as we came over the hill into Montecello, there was a policeman on the side of the road with a baby deer PETTING it! Too bad we didn't get any pictures. :(

It was a fun trip. Mimi by the way made it home with the same amount of money she left with ($20). She had spent only about $5 at build a bear, and then had recieved the $5 from Uncle Mike. She didn't buy any treats. Except for a 75 cent soda on the way home. Quinn said she is getting the art of mooching down. She wouldn't spend ANY money. She let the other kids spend theirs and then they would share with her! Pretty smart. When we were at Wal Mart in Evanston, she wanted to buy a king size candy bar but didn't because she didn't want to break her $5 bill. Well enough with the novel. We had a good time even with Professor "E" along. :)

So here are a few pictures from the trip (a little out of order). You can click on them to bring them up bigger if you want.......



Kids on Uncle Mike's Scavenger Hunt.........

Levi on the dock at the river (in Evanston)..............

Brycie swimming in the river(In Evanston)........

Mimi swimming in the river(In Evanston).......

Skipping rocks in the San Juan River on the way home.........

Looking for rocks to skip.........

Kids in the hotel hot tub....................

Jospeh Smith statue at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.......

Salt Lake Temple..........

Salt Lake Temple...................

Kids in the Tabernacle.........