Part 4:  Provo

This wins best picture taken on our trip award.

@ BYU & the kids at the foot of those monster stairs I had to hike up every day (at least once) while sporting t-shirts advertising their future alma mater.

It was fun for me to watch Jeremy catch up with Ben & Ty - two of his great friends from BYU

That my friends is Brookview #11 (my first apartment in Provo).  And that is the staircase where it all began.  Jeremy & I met on that staircase. 

 

Brookview again & Jeremy holding Dallen & future girlfriend Mirian

(despite the picture I know he thought she was cute, he was just embarrassed to be with his Dad on a first date)

I love Bridget!  She is one of my most favorite people from those good ol' days & it was so fun to see her & her cute girls.  

It was unbelievably hot the couple days we were in Utah so water was a must

Future roommies I hope

We walked around our old hood - south Provo.  They are turning the old Provo tabernacle into the 2nd temple in Provo.  It's going to look spectacular.  We couldn't believe how much things had changed down there.  It used to be in the hood (if there is a hood in happy valley) but it's looking pretty nice now.

Here is our first apartment as a married couple.  A teeny, tiny studio.  I wonder how we would all fit in there now.  Oh yeah, we wouldn't!!!

We also met up with my first roommate Heather & her family.  She is one of the sweetest, most loving ladies I ever met & will ever meet.  She is amazing!

Aren't her kids the cutest?

What would a trip to Utah be without Creamery ice cream??  Yummmmy!  And a game of bowling at the Y.  I love those bumpers - they help a girl out.  

Picnic at the duck pond.  Funny story about that duck pond.  We had somewhat of a prank war going on with an apartment of guys.  One night we were "studying" really late like 1am or something.  You know that's the most productive time ever to study right?  Well all of a sudden a duck came flying through our partly open window.  A real duck that was loudly quacking.  Oh man we woke up real fast & were squealing & screeching until we chased the poor, exhausted & confused duck out the door & he flopped down our stairs as fast as he could waddle.  There is a rumor that duck ended up as someone's dinner but my sources may be wrong on that one.  I will always remember that.  That is probably the best prank in my experience of pranking.  

Well that & the one time the elders snuck into our apartment (on my mission) & hid an old fashioned alarm clock under my bed set for 2am.  Oh I could have killed those boys.  I think that's the closest I've ever come to a heart attack with all that clanging.  It took us forever to figure out what it was & where it was.  Errggg...I'm still stewing over that one....

 

I dedicate our trip to Dallen.  If he hadn't been the happiest, sweetest baby on this crazy thing then we may never leave our house again.  But he was the happiest, sweetest baby & so we may venture again on another  across the country road trip.  Ya know in another 5 years or so.

So much fun & so many great memories!

Part 3:  The Great Salt Lake City

Hyrum & I taking a picture in front of the statue of Hyrum Smith & Joseph Smith.

Flashback to 2007 when my brother Brigg was getting married & Hyrum & I posing in front of the same statue.  I almost cried looking at these pictures of him.  How in the world did he get so big so fast?!?!  I just can't believe it.  I love his almost 7 self but I miss his little 1 year old self too.  I don't think about it because I still have littler kids running around but these pictures really brought it home =(  I'm going to be a big messy puddle when they all leave me someday.  And then I almost cried remembering how much quieter & less chaotic it was with just one little stinker instead of 5-hahaha.  No I didn't really cry about it but it is quite different around here these days.

 

This was a new display since the last time I've been there.  I thought it was so cool that it showed what the temple looks like on the inside for those who have never been inside.  

 

The church history museum had a great display for kids about the Book of Mormon.  Here they are fishing off Nephi's boat.

Inside & out of the conference center.  The boys were especially excited to see this because they see it on our computer twice a year for General Conference.  It didn't disappoint!

 

Enjoying the new mall downtown

The night before we rolled into town we met up with my last companion on my mission Tammy.  We haven't seen each other for probably 7 years or so???  It was great to catch up!

On our way from SLC to Provo we stopped & visited my lovely Grandma T for a morning.  I had forgotten how amazing she is with kids-she really is.  I loved to just sit & watch her interact with them.  Emma especially was quite smitten with her.

Vamos a la playa

Ahhhh...the beach...what more is there to say?

Date with a Canoe

One of my favorite activities in WA was our anniversary date (8 years baby!) canoeing @ Boston Harbor.  So fun!  Jeremy & I went a handful of times before kids & only a couple of times since kids so we were overdue for a paddle.  We ended up just staying close to shore to see all of the animals.  So cool.

Found my dream home.  Look at those windows!  I'm in love.

I was sooo proud of myself for catching two crabs & one ginormous starfish on my paddle

The Fair + Lattin's

Some friends of my parents scored us free tickets to the Thurston County Fair!  It was so fun.
While we were there I had two re-revelations if that can be a word.

1.  The older I get the less (soooo much less) I enjoy being in crowds.  Sometimes I think I'm borderline agoraphobic.  OK it's not that bad but as fun as it was it was nice to go home.

2.  A big part of me hopes my kids are ya' know the FFA type.  The kids there with animals on display were so cute answering questions about raising them etc.  There is something that seems so good & wholesome about a lifestyle like that.  Not that I really want to be a farmer but it would be so fun to have some land & maybe a few animals & a huge garden.  It teaches them responsibility, hard work, a sense of pride in their accomplishments (not that there aren't other ways to experience those things) & being outside is just happy.  I remember at BYU all it would take is to just drive up the canyon to go camp for a night & talk & laugh around a campfire & everything was happy.  All my worries went away & life seemed perfect.  I guess I will have to first get over my phobia of animals huh? I like animals at the zoo & in my National Geographic magazine but I just am not a big fan of them sniffing, drooling, shedding on me etc.  We'll see what lies in our future =)

 

 

 

 3 of our children were brave enough to ride horses for the first time ever

Well I guess I don't have it that bad with just one baby, eh?  Hahahaha

And here was the magnificent view from the ferris wheel!  This view would never get old

Here we are at Lattin's petting the animals, eating delicious apple fritters (oh man they are good!) & riding bikes & being pumpkins.