Summer Vacation

 Road Trip to Utah

Newly equipped with a mini-van, there was nothing to stop us this year from extending our annual pilgrimage to a full three weeks. 

The Drive

Choosing to break up the northern trek into a two-day stint, we stayed over at a hotel in St. George where the three Pinks had to snuggle up under one set of covers for the night. 

 

Since Zion National Park isn't too far off the beaten track, we decided to drive through it on our way north.  J and I have both hiked and camped there before (it's one of our favorite parks) but this was the first time our kids had seen it. 



Spring City

After delivering me and the Pinks safely to Salt Lake City, J flew back to AZ to work (somebody's got to pay those air conditioning bills) while I took the kids to my parents' home in Spring City for a Moms-and-Kids-only reunion.

We hiked in Maple Canyon.

We bowled in Ephraim.

 And ran crazy around the yard in Spring City.

 

 

 

With eight kids in total, four of which are currently two years and under, we also failed to get any sleep.  Oh well.  We had fun anyway.

Mapleton

Who needs Disneyland when you can go to Grandma M's house!

We got to take a trips around the homestead on Grandpa S's ATV.

 

Grandma M treated us to a morning of making cookies and bracelets.  (We were too busy eating the cookies to actually take any pictures of them.)

 

Then the Pinks ran amok at nearby Springville's splash park.

 



Slip n' Slides are tons of fun when positioned on the downward slope of the drainage ditch.

 

But perhaps the most popular activity was feeding the neighbor's mules.

 

Thanks so much for everything, Grandma M. & Grandpa S.!  We had a great time!

 

 

Salt Lake City

We headed north again to spend more time with aunts and uncles and cousins.  Oh my!!

 

First thing on the Pink's agenda was to take a test run in Grandma D's new jetted bathtub.  They gave it six bubbly thumbs up!

 

 No, we didn't adopt a dinosaur, but we did go to the Utah Museum of Natural History with Aunt Amy and cousin S.

 

A. has really been into painting nails recently.

 

She gave Grandma D. a manicure.

 

She even painted Grandpa G's nails!

 

And no trip to Utah would be complete without a day spent getting beautiful at Salon de Aunt Shellie.

 

 



 

 

4th of July

We don't get to spend many holidays with extended family so it was a real treat for us to be in SLC for Independence Day this year.  The festivities kicked-off with a little Guitar Hero in the basement.

 

 

 Aunt Stacy brought fun things too like 4th of July Tattoos, Patriotic sidewalk chalk and glow-in-the-dark bracelets.

 

 

 

After eating Aunt Shellie's divine homemade lemon ice cream, the brothers-in-law all converged on the lawn to "watch" the kiddos while the Strong sisters helped clean up.

 

And of course, there were lots of fireworks.  Thank you everyone for a fantastic Fourth and an all-round great trip!