July 2016

BRYAN'S AND AFTON'S WEDDING

The main reason for our big trip was to attend Jared's brother Bryan's wedding.

They chose the beautiful, historic St. George Temple.

The girls were excited to see their cousin Courtney.

Traveling, the time change, and all the festivities left Audrey quite worn out.  She decided to take a little nap on the sidewalk with her lunch bag.

Audrey loved exploring the temple grounds.  The weather was actually perfect since it has rained the night before, which helped cool off the city.

The temple wedding was beautiful.  You can tell that Bryan and Afton were both very happy to have finally found each other.

Audrey was tired and a little overwhelmed by all the new faces.  Luckily she has a sweet big brother to give her a hug when she needs it.

The wedding luncheon and program were perfect, but Audrey was too worn out to notice.  She decided to take another little nap on the floor.

The kids has fun blowing bubbles for the bride and groom as they left for their honeymoon.

One of the blessings of doing your visiting teaching:  Beth (Afton's sister) and I were able to set up Bryan and Afton with each other, and it actually worked out!  We are super happy for them both.


TARZAN AT TUACAHN

After a full day of wedding and a little nap, we headed out to St. George's famous red rock Tuacahn Theater with Jared's parents.   The play was really fun to watch, but not as much as my kids' happy faces.


AUDREY'S PRIVATE POOL

Thanks to my Dad, we stayed at a Worldmark condo while we were in St. George.  Audrey really enjoyed having her own private baby pool that she could walk around with her floatie in.  

COVE FORT

We decided to stop by Cove Fort on our way up to Provo.  

The missionaries were great and it was fun to learn about early Utah history.

FAMILY REUNION IN PROVO

It was fun to see all my family again after so long.  Here I am with all my sweet sisters.  Other than Jared, they are my best friends.  It was great to be able to spend a week with all of them.

One of the favorite things about my parents house is the dress up box.  Audrey got attached to these butterfly wings and insisted on wearing them everywhere.

Here are the girls having fun dressing up with their cousins Chloe, Grace, and Elle.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

No other place does Independence Day like Provo, Utah.   Here we are with the Donaldson clan at Provo's Independence Day parade.   It was fun hanging with extended family again.  I forgot how much fun my uncles can be.  My uncle Matt spent the night saving us this sweet spot, and my Uncle Craig knows how to excite a crowd.  He had us all stand up and cheer for the missionaries and the veterans.  He also got several of the people carrying the balloons and signs to turn around in front of us.  

Audrey had her own private seat in the stroller.

The 4th would not be complete without breakfast in Grandpa's backyard and the children's parade.

Audrey waving her flag.

COLONIAL DAYS

We visited the colonial festival put on by the cities of Provo and Orem.  Jared was pleased that they offered stocks so we could properly punish our children for all their misbehavior. 

They also offered an armory so we could outfit our family for battle--Jamestown colony style.

Abby carding wool.

Nathan  and Maddy carrying water.

Nathan especially enjoyed the soldiers marching and shooting their guns and cannons.  Audrey told me it was "loud baby's ears."

Nathan with a cool canon.

Abby trying out a harpsichord.

Maddy trying out a parasol.

Audrey trying out a rocking chair just her size.

FIREWORKS

We watched the Stadium of Fire show from my parents' back porch on the 2nd, and my Dad and brothers put on a show for us on the 4th.  I didn't get to watch it because I was inside with Audrey.  The fireworks and their noise scared her.  From what I hear it was a great performance complete with a malfunctioning firework shooting toward the audience (a yearly occurrence).  

FAIRY HOUSES

My siblings watched our kids so Jared and could attend the new Provo City Center Temple together.   My sister Sarah and I took a turn watching the kids in turn so my siblings could go with their spouses.  I was worried about watching so many kids, but they managed to keep themselves entertained for hours building fairy houses in Sarah's backyard. They were very creative in their use of mud, sticks, pine cones, rocks, and leaves.

STEWART FALLS

My old roommate Shauntai and I met up to hike Stewart falls together.  It was fun to see her again after so many years.

The kids absolutely love hiking.

The hike to the falls brought back a lot of memories from my childhood.  My family used to spend time at Aspen Grove every fall during the deer hunting break.

LIBERTY PARK

We had a fun reunion with the Vromans at Liberty Park in SLC.  Audrey liked the tunnels.

The girls loved the flower gardens.

THE CABIN

We had a nice picnic dinner at the park near my parents' former cabin.  The girls enjoyed rolling around in the grass.  Soft, non-pokey, chigger-free grass is very much appreciated now that we live in Texas.

Audrey really enjoyed the wildflowers.

My parents' former cabin has been torn down, and here is the pit for their new one.  Once it is done, it should be a really nice place for our family to gather. 

THOMAS

We visited Thomas' grave and the kids shared some of their memories of him.  Audrey put her hands on Thomas' tiny hand prints.  When she is older we will have to tell her more about her celestial big brother.  

GOOD-BYE DANCE

The kids had a hard time saying good-bye to their cousins.  Emily brightened the moment by suggesting that they do the "good-bye dance."

MESA VERDE

On our way home, we stopped at Mesa Verde National Park.  It was very interesting to learn about the cliff dwellings and their former inhabitants.

The kids getting sworn in as Mesa Verde Junior Rangers.  To earn their badges, they had to complete several educational activities and take an oath to protect the park.

The cliff palace

One of last views of the mountains before continuing the ride home.

The Ride Home

The ride home always feels much longer than the drive up.  Nathan decided to try on Jared's hat to keep the sun out of his eyes.

Homesickness

After we got back, we all had a hard time readjusting to life in Texas.  Jared must have been feeling particularly homesick because he made this pie after we got back.

A FEW MORE UTAH MOUNTAIN PICTURES

"What are men to rocks and mountains?"

I'm afraid that we missed getting pictures with grandparents on the trip--I think because they are always so busy trying to take care of everyone else.  It was great seeing them too, and next time we will have to pin them down for pictures.