Adventures in Utah

First of all, going anywhere with four little kids is a real adventure. Some adventures were so "adventurous" that we were too busy to take pictures...like the many trips out to eat, the carnival (just Bailey and I did that one), shopping, etc.

But the highlight of any trip to Utah is going 'bowlin' at the BYU Games Center. We did this twice and had so much fun doing it. We got lots of pins and balls stuck and took turns randomly, but it was a blast.

Benson and Laura were so patient waiting for their turns.

The Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point.

This was such a great museum. There was so much 'hands-on' stuff for the kids to do...

...like tunnels to play in...

...costumes to try on...

..."Erosion Tables" aka: Sand and Water to experiment with...

...babies to hold...

...bones and fossils to touch...

...and dig up...

The Bean Life Science Museum at BYU

We went to see the taxidermified animals at the museum, and ended up being just in time for a story time. Best of all the kids got to see and pet a real tortoise, named Otis. Benson, surprisingly, was FASCINATED with Otis and followed him around the room, crawling on all fours like Otis. He though Otis was his own personal pet and would scream at anyone who tried to touch him.

Laura and Bryn liked to watch from a distance.

Bailey fell in love with museums after the Dinosaur and Bean Museums, and even went to a Day Camp at the Museum one Saturday and learned about Bengal Tigers.

Picnic at Vivian Park, Provo Canyon

Bailey really wanted to "go up the mountains" while we were in Utah. Not being around mountains anymore, we forget just how awe inspiring and ominous the Wasatch Mountains really are! One day Guh, Papa, Sarah, Laura and the kids and I went up Provo Canyon (just a 15 minute drive!) to have a picnic in the mountains. It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun!

The kids played...

...played...

...climbed...

ate lunch...

...some snuggled and slept...

...played some more..,

...threw rocks in the river...

The Provo River was moving SO FAST because of all the spring run-off and rain. Luckily it was fenced around the river and bridge, so the kids could see, and hear the river and still throw rocks in and not fall in! Best of all, while we were there...the Heber Creeper (an old train) made a stop at Vivian Park. Which inspired our next adventure...

Riding Trax to Temple Square!

Guh and the kids an I rode Trax (the metro train) for about 30 minutes up to Downtown Salt Lake City. The kids LOVED it. Guh and I got some great weirdo watching in, too.

We wondered around Temple Square for just a few minutes because the kids were very hungry and more interested in food and trains than sight seeing. Which was just fine.

After lunch we waited for the train...

And with in about 5 minutes of boarding the train, Benson was asleep, and slept all the way (on the train and in the car) to Memaw's house (Great Grandma Dowding).

Some were just WIDE EYED the whole time!

"Big Trucks"

Some adventures were literally right outside the front door! One morning we woke up to the sound of a backhoe, and Papa sat outside with the kids and watched the neighbors dig up some bushes. The kids were frozen, but loved it!

And after all those adventures, it's nice just to kick your feet up and read a book.

Or snuggle up with a wookie.